


Unexpected

by RosieLynn



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Best Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Imprinting, Imprinting (Twilight)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24798721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieLynn/pseuds/RosieLynn
Summary: Nessie is super excited to begin college. Of course she'll miss her family and Jake, but she'll see them all the time...right? At least she has a sweet roommate, Felicity, to keep her company. Unfortunately, Felicity has a not-so-sweet boyfriend who spends too much time in the dorm. Hopefully, Seth can change that.Also posted on fanfiction.net
Relationships: Jacob Black/Renesmee Cullen, Seth Clearwater/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Nessie's POV**

"Come on Nessie, we've got to get going." My dad touches my shoulder and I tighten my arms around my Aunt Rose.

"I'm going to miss you all so much." My voice is quiet, but I know everyone can hear me.

"But we'll see you every weekend!" Uncle Emmett reminds me, pulling me away from his wife and gathering me in a bone-crushing hug. "You won't have time to miss us."

"True." I laugh and wipe a tear from the corner of my eye. This, of course, makes everyone sigh sadly and gather around me for another group hug.

My mom gently pulls me away from my loving family. "Sweetie, we really have to go if we're going to make orientation. I'm sure we'll be pushing it even with your dad's crazy driving." We all chuckle.

"Actually," Aunt Alice says proudly, "she can stay for twenty-six more minutes and still make it in time!"

I chuckle, but agree with my parents when they say it would be pushing it. With a final farewell, the family watches Mom, Dad, Jake and I climb into the car. They wave as we leave, and I wave back long after they've disappeared, figuring that they can still see me.

Sensing my sadness, Jake throws an arm around me, and I gladly lean into his side.

"Are you excited?"

"Yes, I really am...I'm just going to miss everyone so much." I sigh sadly. "Especially you." I place my hand on his cheek and show him exactly how much it pains me to be away from him. His grip on me tightens, and he takes my free hand in his.

"For me too." His eyes are sad, but he tries to hide it for my sake. "But like Emmett said, you'll be back every weekend. You won't have time to miss us."

There's always time for that, I think. My dad chuckles.

I lean into Jake's chest and the four of us fill the silence with whatever comes to mind. Too soon, and yet not soon enough, we arrive at the University of Washington. I'm filled with a chaotic mixture of sadness, excitement, pain, and euphoria as I see my new home come into view.

"We're here!" My mom's voice is excited, but I can detect a layer of unhappiness.

Dad parks effortlessly near my dorm building, and the four of us get out of the car. Since my entourage is made up of two vampires and a werewolf, it only takes us one easy trip to bring all of my bags inside the dorm. We quickly find my room, number 205, in the beginning of a long hallway. On the door are two signs, each filled with decorations, with two names spelled out. The first is mine, Renesmee Cullen. The second, I assume, belongs to my roommate; Felicity Ferryn.

"Wow, that's a name." I giggle.

Jake scoffs. "You're one to talk, Renesmee."

I giggle, and Mom shoots him a glare. Dad hands me the key, and let's me do the honors while Mom snaps many, many pictures. After turning the key in the lock, I open my door and am pleasantly surprised. My room actually isn't bad. In truth, it's pretty nice. Very spacious, with a living room, kitchen, and doors on opposite sides that I assume lead to bedrooms. The floors are a nice, new wood, and the walls are painted a soft cream. I assume my family pulled some strings to make this happen.

"Yep." Dad answers with a smile. I smile back gratefully.

"Which one is mine?"

"The bigger one, obviously. Come on, let's judge." Jacob grabs my hand and pulls me into the room on the right. It's a nice room, spacious like the rest of the suite. The hardwood floors continue, but this time the walls are painted a soft blue. There's a large window looking out at the courtyard filled with trees. The queen sized bed is pushed against a wall, and on the other side of the room is a medium sized desk. Near the desk, we find the door that leads to my closet. It's small- much smaller than my closet at home, but it will do. Opposite from my bed, there's a door that leads into a shared bathroom. I sigh when I realize I'll have to share, but upon further inspection decide that there will be enough room for the both of us. We use the connecting bathroom to enter the other room, which is a mirror of mine except that the walls are painted lavender, and the window is slightly larger.

I turn to Jake. "I like the first room better."

He grins. "Then let's move in!"

My dad suddenly appears behind him and places a hand on his shoulder. "You mean, let's move her in." He's joking, but there's a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Of course." Jacob says politely to him, but he rolls his eyes at me. I laugh.

We carry my things to my room and I look at the clock. "Crap, orientation starts in fifteen minutes. I should go."

Mom nods. "We'll start setting you up."

I thank them. "I'll go with you." Jake says, happily taking my hand. "I need to find a place to eat." We giggle at Jake's always present appetite and walk into the hallway.

We quickly find the building where orientation will be held, and Jacob kisses me goodbye. "I'll be out here when you're done. You said three hours, right?"

"Ish." I reply.

"Great. I'm gonna go check out the food here." He begins to back away. "Don't worry Ness, I'm gonna try out every food place here. I'll tell you the best places to eat! I won't let you down!" I giggle and wave as he runs towards the nearest restaurant, neatly dodging people as he goes.

Smiling, I turn and walk into the building, ready for the next three hours.

{***}

Exactly three hours and seventeen minutes later, my head is filled with exciting knowledge and "little known facts" about Washington University. I walk out of the building and am happy to see Jake waiting for me, food in hand.

"Thank you." I pluck a sandwich from his hand and quickly take a bite. My eyes widen in surprise. "Wow, this is good."

"Right?" He questions proudly. "I ate at four different sandwich places before I found the perfect one."

I place my hand over my heart and pretend to be touched. "You're too good to me."

He just grins and takes my hand, walking towards my dorm building. "Did you enjoy orientation?"

"Surprisingly, yes. It was interesting- and helpful- to learn where everything is and learn all about the campus.

"Anything you want to pass on?"

I smile at him. "There are no visiting hours, so come over whenever you like."

He smiles back. "I'll be over so often, you'll get sick of me."

"Never." I grin and tighten my hold on him.

We climb the stairs in my dorm building and walk to my suite. The door is still unlocked. Walking into my room, I can see that my parents were very busy. My room is finished. The desk is covered with pictures of me, Jake, and my family. A light green rug covers some of the floor. My bed is made up with a new mattress, spread, and new pillows, all looking very inviting. I assume the bathroom is stocked with my toiletries, as well as the closet and drawers filled with my clothes. To finish the picture, a flat screen television hangs on the wall, directly across from my bed.

I chuckle at that. "Emmett?"

"Emmett." My parents answer.

Just then, I hear the main door open, and a high pitched voice calls, "Hello?" Her voice has a slight southern accent to it.

"That'll be Felicity." Deciding that seeing the four of us so suddenly might be too overwhelming for a full human, I decide to go out alone.

"Hi! I'm Felicity. Are you Renesmee?" I'm greeted by a bubbly girl who is a few inches shorter than me. The first thing I notice is her hair, because it's almost the same color as Uncle Jasper's, hers just has a slight reddish tint to it. The second thing I notice are her eyes. At first, they appear to be light blue. Upon further inspection, a stormy grey. With a last look, green like the forest.

"Your eyes!" I gasp. Horrified, I clamp my hand over my mouth, realizing that I've just been very rude. "Oh, I'm so sorry. That was really rude. I only meant that-"

"Don't even worry about it!" She brushes it off easily. "That seems to be the first thing everyone notices about me. I honestly can't decide what color they are. They change pretty often."

I smile, glad she doesn't hate me already. "I already moved into the room on the right. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! First come, first served." She grins. "Is your family here, or are you here alone?"

"My parents and my boyfriend are helping set up my room."

"That's nice! Mine are trying to park." She laughs easily, and it's a pleasant sound, if a little high-pitched.

"I assume that's where all of your stuff is?" I gesture to her arms, which hold only two boxes. "Yeah." She giggles sheepishly. "I should've probably waited for them, but I was too excited."

"Here, I'll show you your room." I offer, and run over to grab the door.

She enters the room and gasps. "The walls are beautiful! Purple is my favorite color."

I chuckle at her positivity. "Good thing I like blue, then."

"Good thing." She grins. "So where are you from?"

"Forks, Washington, so not too far away." Her eyes light up. "What about you?"

"Carrollton, Georgia, but I actually have family in Forks. Do you know Gertrude Sommers?"

I gasp in recognition. "Miss Gertie!"

"Yeah!" She giggles, enthused at my recognition.

"She owns a house and some land not too far from where I grew up, actually. Only about fifteen miles or so."

"Oh wow! I get there almost every summer for a visit, so I'm surprised we never saw each other. How funny!"

Seeing that I was never allowed out much due to my escalated growth, I'm not surprised. But of course I wouldn't tell her that.

Apparently deciding that they've hidden long enough, my parents knock at the door. "Renesmee, can we come in?" My mom makes her voice soft. I glance to Felicity, seeing as this is her room.

"Of course!" She skips over to open the door, and gives a soft gasp when she sees my parents. I chuckle. "You're her parents?"

My dad laughs. "We were both young when Nessie came along."

Felicity nods politely, but still seems a little shocked. "Are you two from Forks as well?"

"Yep." Mom answers smoothly. Before she can say more, we're interrupted by a guy bursting through the front door.

"Hey babe!" He waves, and Felicity leads us out of her room to greet him. "My room's set, and your parents are coming up with the boxes." He chuckles. "I passed them outside."

"Oh," Felicity frowns slightly. "We should go help them."

"They're fine." He answers, grabbing her hips to stop her from leaving the room. "First, introduce me to your new friends."

"Oh, of course, how rude of me!" She smacks herself lightly on the forehead. "Ryan, this is Renesmee Cullen, my new roommate. These are her parents, who I forgot to ask their names." She chuckles good-naturedly and waits for my parents to supply their names.

"Edward."

"Bella."

"These are her parents, Edward and Bella." Felicity finishes with a smile. "This is my boyfriend, Ryan."

"Yep, been with this little lady for two years now." He smacks her butt, causing both Felicity and I to frown. She shoos his hand away, looking slightly embarrassed.

I am filled with immediate dislike for the tall blonde man in front of me.

"Come on Ryan, we need to go help my parents." She tugs on his hand, and he groans.

Before he can complain, I jump in. "Want some help? We're already done setting up."

"Oh how nice of you!" Felicity gushes. "I don't want to put you guys out."

"Not at all." My dad answers. "I'll go get Jacob."

Upon hearing his name, Jacob walks out of my room. Filled with sudden gratitude for how nicely he treats me, I smile and reach for his hand, showing him what I mean. He smiles back and squeezes my hand.

"Hi, I'm Jacob, but lots of people call me Jake." He shakes hands with Felicity, and tries to do the same with her boyfriend, but Ryan is very curt about it.

"Hi, I'm Felicity." She gives Jake one of her easy smiles. "Are you enrolled here too?"

He shakes his head, and there's a slight tone of sadness in his voice when he answers. "No, I'm more of the handy type than the academic type. I fix your car, but ask me anything about chemistry and I'm screwed."

I'm about to protest, but Felicity beats me to it. "Not at all! I think it's great that you can fix cars! Lord knows we need more people to help with that. I hope you're well-appreciated."

Jacob smiles, and I'm filled with gratitude for Felicity and her uplifting compliments. "Actually, I run a shop now. We do pretty well."

"That's great! If my car ever breaks, I know who to call." We all chuckle, except for Ryan, who tugs Felicity's hand impatiently.

"Did you want to help your parents or flirt with another girl's boyfriend right in front of me?"

We're all momentarily frozen in shock.

Felicity looks at him, her eyes filled with confusion, hurt, embarrassment, and a little irritation. "Ryan, I wasn't-"

"Whatever. Forget it." He cuts her off and pulls her out of the room.

Thinking it would be best to let them talk alone, I close the door and leave them to get her things.

"Wow." Is all my mom says.

I nod. "She's been with that for two years."

"And he's dating your roommate, so guess who will probably see him all the time?" Jake says with mock enthusiasm.

I groan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Nessie's POV**

"I'm going to miss you so much." My parents hug me tightly, trying to make these last seconds count.

"I'll miss you, too." I reply, doing my best to hold back tears. "But I'll be back on the weekend. That's only five days away. I'll see you both really soon."

My mom buries her face in my hair, something she's been doing for as long as I can remember. "We love you. Call us if you need anything. We can be here in a flash." My dad nods to emphasize her point.

"Okay. Thank you. I love you guys so much." We give one last, big hug and my parents leave the room, giving me some "alone" time with Jake. Felicity and her boyfriend are in her room, putting up some finishing touches.

"Jake." As soon as my parents are gone, I burst into tears, wrapping my arms around his neck. He grips me tightly and lifts me up so I'm at his height, and I hug him tighter.

"I know. Me too." He strokes my hair soothingly.

"It's going to be so weird without you here all the time." I manage through the tears. "I mean, we've hardly been apart since I was born."

"It's gonna be hell." He agrees with a humorless chuckle. "But we can do this. I'll visit you, you'll visit me, we'll talk every night. It'll be okay. And of course, if you need absolutely anything, even if it's just a hug, I'll be here in an hour."

I smile gratefully and pull back so I can see his face. "Don't drive so fast that you hurt yourself."

He shrugs easily. "I heal super fast, Ness."

I laugh and tighten my hold on his neck, unwilling to let go yet.

"Have fun with your roommate. I think you guys will be good friends."

I nod enthusiastically. "I really like her. I just hope her dumb boyfriend isn't around all the time."

Jake grimaces. "He's kind of an ass, why's she with him?"

"Who even knows."

Jake's face turns serious. "Well, let me know if he's ever an ass to you. I'll put him in his place."

I thank him and chuckle, though I know he truly means it. We both know it's time for him to go, but neither of us wants to say it. So instead, I kiss him. He responds fervently, knowing that this will be the last time we're able to hold each other for a while.

Pulling back, I rest my forehead on his. "I love you."

He hugs me tightly and then sets me back on the ground. "I love _you_." He glances at me one last time, looking utterly distraught, before leaving my room quickly. As soon as he's gone, the tears begin to fall again. I sit on my bed and hug a pillow to my chest as the tears come more quickly. There's a tentative knock on my door.

"Renesmee? Can I come in?" Felicity's voice is soft, and she waits patiently for a reply. I try to stop the tears, but I can't, so I just make a noise of assent.

She comes into my room, her expression filled with sympathy for me. "I'm so sorry Renesmee. I can see you two really love each other, and I know it must hurt for him to leave." I nod, glad that she understands rather than thinking that my reaction is stupid.

"It's just-" I choke. "We've never been away from each other before. Ever." My breathing becomes even more unsteady, and she sits next to me on the bed, hesitantly wrapping me in a hug. I don't know her all that well, but I don't mind the contact. We're friends already. When she sees that I don't react badly, she hugs me tighter.

"It will be okay, I promise. It hurts now, but in five days, you'll see him again. Just think of the next time you'll see him, and use that to get you through the day." I nod, and the tears begin to slow.

"I'm sorry." My voice continues to break, even though the tears are coming to a close. "I'm sorry, I know this is silly. I just love him so much."

"It's not silly." She assures me. "And he loves you too. A lot. I met the guy for what, five minutes? And I can already tell. You two will get through this."

"Thank you." I hug her tightly.

"It's no trouble at all." I can tell that she means it.

"Where's Ryan?" I ask somewhat reluctantly.

Hearing my tone, she chuckles. "I sent him home. I love him and all, but I needed some space from him. We're not like you and Jacob." She sounds a little wistful.

"You're right." I respond. "You have a healthier relationship." She looks at me doubtfully, so I amend my statement. "In the way that you can be apart from each other and not be reduced to a blubbering mess." Felicity chuckles.

"Are your parents gone?" I ask.

"Yeah." She answers, and now there's a hint of sadness in her positive voice. "They have to catch a flight back to Georgia."

"Oh yeah, they live in Georgia. I'm sorry they're so far away." I try to imagine what that would feel like, having the people you love so out of reach, and I can't.

"Thanks." She smiles sadly. "I'll miss them, of course. I already do. But…" She hesitates, but then decides to continue. "But I'm excited to find out who I am when I'm not with them. My whole life, they've sheltered me, kind of told me what to do. I'm ready to be independent, to think for myself."

Now that, I understood perfectly.

"But thankfully, I still have Ryan with me. He's my little piece from home." She smiles fondly. "He may not be perfect, but he's good for me."

I disagree, but of course I won't say anything. "So you've been together two years?"

"Yep." She smiles proudly. "Since my junior year."

"That's nice." I smile.

"What about you and Jacob?"

I smile again, this time with more sincerity. "Well, we've known each other since I was a baby. But we've only technically been together for a eight months. Before that, he was my best friend in the whole world. He still is."

The wistfulness returns to her eyes. "That sounds really nice."

I smile at her, and there's a little bit of silence before the wistfulness leaves her. Suddenly, she gasps, making me jump. "I know! Let's have a girl's night! Instead of being sad about boyfriends leaving, let's put on a movie, make some popcorn, and get to know each other better! We don't have to do anything until noon tomorrow, so we can stay up!"

Even though I really just want to go to bed, I dont have the heart to say no and crush her enthusiasm. So I agree. She squeals happily and rushes out to make popcorn, telling me to pick a movie. I quickly pick a romantic comedy that looks cute, and she returns eight minutes later with two bowls of popcorn. It's now that I notice her outfit. She's adorned in a sweatshirt, sweatpants, fuzzy socks, and a hat. I chuckle. "Cold?"

She laughs. "I don't know what it is about me. I'm always cold."

"You can turn up the heat." I offer.

She grins sheepishly. "I already did."

I laugh and she climbs next to me in the bed, switching off the light as she goes. I press play on the movie, and it begins.

{***}

About an hour and fifteen minutes into the movie, my phone rings.

Jake.

"Could you-" I begin, but Felicity has already paused the movie and is getting up to give us some privacy. "You can stay."

She smiles and sits back down next to me. I answer, eager to hear Jake's voice.

"Hi. Are you home?"

"Hi." His voice is husky, and I can hear the sadness in it. "Yep. Well, not home, home. I'm at Embry's place. He, Quill and Seth kidnapped me because they figured I would be missing you."

"Jake, you have the sweetest friends."

I can hear the grin in his voice as he responds. "I know."

"Hi guys!" I make my voice loud enough so the boys can hear me through the phone. I'm greeted by a chorus of "hey Nessie"'s.

"So what are you up to tonight?"

"Well," I smile. "Felicity kind of had the same idea, so we're having a girl's night. We're watching a movie now."

"Good!" He lowers his voice so there's no chance of Felicity hearing him. "Do you like her? Is she nice? Not a crazy murderer?"

I laugh loudly, and Felicity looks at me with curiosity. "Yes, yes, and not that I know of."

Jake laughs with me. "Just checking."

Felicity leans towards the phone. "Hi Jacob! Hi Jacob's friends!"

Jake and I chuckle as both he and his friends respond enthusiastically.

"Okay, well, I'll let you get back to your girl's night." Jake's voice is reluctant, but a little relieved. Probably happy that I'm not a mess of tears...that he knows of. "I love you."

"I love you. Have fun tonight."

"I will."

I hang up, and Felicity turns to me. "You okay?"

I check. Yes, I'm sad, and it hurts, but hearing his voice helped. "Yes, actually."

She grins. "Then let's see if the only attractive and single people on the screen will get together!"

I laugh, and she presses play.

**Jacob's POV**

Renesmee hangs up, and I put my phone away.

"How you doing?" Seth asks cautiously. Knowing I can't hide how I feel from my friends, brothers, I let myself fall back onto the couch with a groan.

"It hurts."

Quill claps my shoulder sympathetically. "I know, Jake. Trust me, I do. But you're going to see her in less than five days. You two will be okay. But I really do understand that it hurts."

I smile at him, grateful for both his understanding and his encouragement. As the only other one in the room with an imprint, he knows how I'm feeling right now. Granted, he and Claire have never actually been apart for more than three days, so he can't quite understand my level of hurting. Seth and Embry can sympathize, but not empathize. Still, I need to get some of this tension out. "Let's go for a run." The boys happily oblige, and soon we're running through the forest as wolves. As alpha, I take point. On the run, I let myself think of my goodbye with Nessie.

 _Jake, please._ Embry begs. _I know you love her, but you're confusing me. Now I think that_ I _want to kiss her._

I shove him playfully, and he skirts away.

 _In all seriousness though,_ he continues, _it's not good to think about things that make you sad._

 _Yeah_! Seth chimes in. _What made you happy today?_

I grumble, suddenly feeling like I'm on an episode of Dr. Phil.

 _Come on,_ Quill nudges.

 _Ugh, fine. Well, Edward didn't complain about my thoughts today, which was nice. Normally he would've punched me for what I was thinking._ We all chuckle, knowing how stupidly protective Edward is. _The campus doesn't have visiting hours, so I can show up anytime I want. That's a plus._ But then I remember that Felicity's jackass boyfriend can do the same, and I'm filled with annoyance. The guys catch my mood and try to steer me in a new direction.

 _But you said she has a nice roommate, right?_ Embry prompts.

 _Yeah, I'm glad Nessie has Felicity. They're already friends._ An image of Nessie and Felicity together flashes through my mind, and then the strangest thing happens.

Seth runs into a tree. The tree wobbles, and we watch it warily and back up, wondering if it will fall. When it doesn't, the boys and I look at Seth incredulously...until we howl with laughter.

 _Seth!_ Quill gasps. _What the hell? No one_ ever _hits a tree!_

Even I'm laying down, cracking up. Seth groans and rubs his head on the ground.

 _What the hell happened?!_ Embry chortles.

 _I'm not sure.._.Seth admits, sounding a little freaked. _I just got really distracted._

The freaked out tone in his voice causes my ears to perk up instinctively, searching for danger.

 _Of course,_ I think, _the only danger here is Seth. Running into trees._ The guys and I, minus Seth, are back on the ground laughing.

Seth chuckles good naturedly with us, putting up with the jokes made at his expense without so much as a groan. Kid's a good sport.

 _Alright_ , I finally step in, deciding the poor kid has had enough. _Let's keep running._

 _Sure,_ Embry agrees. _Seth,_ he 'speaks' in a slow voice, the way an adult would talk to a small child. _Be sure to use your eyes and your other senses to stay away from the big tall things._

Unable to help it, we laugh as we take off in a run.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight characters, nor am I making any mine from this story. It's just for fun. This disclaimer is upholding for this whole story :)

**Jake's POV**

The next few days pass by in slow agony. Each day without her hurts more and more, despite our nightly conversations. I can see that my down mood is taking its toll on my pack; since they're in my head every day, they can't escape my pain any more than I can. My mood has had the worst effect on Seth, who has been in disarray since the day Nessie left.

He sighs unhappily from across the car we're working on, and I look at him in confusion and concern.

"What's wrong?"

He's hesitant to answer, but he does. "I dunno. I just feel...weird. Really weird."

I take a break from attaching the door, and look at him. "Like sick?"

He makes a face. "Not quite sick...I just...I feel like we need to go check on Nessie."

My body tightens. "Why? What's wrong?" My hands inch towards the keys in my pockets, and Seth flinches a bit at my hard voice.

"Not like anything's wrong...I dunno...I just feel like we need to go see her."

"Then let's go." Alarmed by Seth's behavior, I grab my shirt from across the room and throw it on at the same time that I take out my keys.

"But I don't think we should." Seth hesitates.

"What?" I stop in confusion, and I admit, frustration. "Seth, if you think something's wrong, we need to go. I can't take any chances with Nessie."

"Right, I know." He shifts uncomfortably. "I don't feel like anything's wrong, I just feel...kind of drawn to her." He cringes, looking like he thinks I might hit him. I immediately feel bad.

"Awh, Seth, I'm sorry." I apologize and walk over to him. "I've been thinking about her so often, and you're always in my head, so of course my feelings are rubbing off on you. Sorry, I know this situation isn't easy for you guys, but you're all being really good sports. What you're feeling is just an extension of how I'm feeling. I promise, when I see Nessie, you'll feel better."

He nods, seeming reassured. "Thanks Jake. Sorry this is so hard for you."

I shrug. "I am gonna go call her though. Just to make sure."

Seth nods again, and goes back to his work. Walking outside, I pull out my phone and dial the familiar number.

She answers quickly. "Jake? Hi!"

"Hey Ness! Sorry I'm calling in the middle of the day."

"It's fine, I'm at lunch." Her voice is happy. "What's up?"

I hesitate to tell her of Seth's anxiety. Knowing that it's nothing, I don't want to worry her. "I was just missing you."

"Awh, I miss you too! But I'll be home tomorrow." I can hear the grin in her voice, and a smile of my own spreads across my face. "Actually, I was thinking of driving back tonight so I could have a little extra time with you guys. What do you think?"

"That would be great!" I enthuse. "We can do dinner at Charlie's?" I glance at Seth, waiting for him to approve since his mom lives there now. He nods. "Yeah, Charlie's is clear. What time do you think you can be home?"

"Dinner sounds fun! I can leave here at four, so I'll be there around six thirty. I'm really excited to see you."

"So excited." I grin. "Okay, I'll see you at six thirty. Love you!"

"I love you. Wait!" She stops me before I can hang up. "Can I bring Felicity? Her family lives in Georgia, and she's really missing them."

"Sure." I agree easily.

"Great."

We hang up, and I call Charlie to tell him and Sue the plan.

"Excited?" Seth grins as he picks up the change in my mood.

"You have no idea." I grin back and we return to our work.

Renesmee's POV

"Hey Liss," I peek my head into her room and find her studying. Not a surprise. "I'm leaving here around four to go to Forks and see my family. Do you want to come? You can stay at my house."

She smiles. "That sounds really nice! But I probably shouldn't, I have a lot to study for, and I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"Oh please." I plop on her bed. "You can bring your studying, and you wouldn't intrude! Plus, you can visit your Grandma."

I can see the appeal of the idea in her eyes, and she accepts without much more of a fight. "But, I will not arrive empty-handed." She skips off to the kitchen to make a dish to bring.

While she's cooking, I pull out my phone to call my mom.

"Hi baby!" She answers on the first ring.

"Hi Mom." I chuckle. "I decided to drive down tonight so I can have dinner with Charlie and Sue."

"Great! You'll still come home tonight though, right?"

"Sure! But can I bring my roommate? She misses her family, and I think she needs to get out of the dorm."

There's a minuscule pause as she asks Grandma Esme, before she agrees. "She can stay in Alice's room."

"Thanks Aunt Alice."

"You're welcome." Her high pitched voice floats through the phone.

"Okay, I'll see you guys tonight. Love you!"

"Love you!"

{***}

Three hours later, Felicity and I are packed and on the road. She made a fruity dessert, a triffle, she called it, which I think will be a big hit with everyone.

"How's Ryan?" I ask when there's a lull in the conversation.

She smiles at my attempt. "Thank you. I know he's not your favorite person."

I'm not a fan of lying, so I didn't make a move to disagree with her.

"He's okay." She continues. "But...can I confess something to you?"

"Of course."

"He's been getting on my nerves lately." She speaks in a rush, and I can tell this has been weighing on her. "We spend so much time together, and all he wants to do is make out. It's like he thinks that now since we're away from our parents, I'm just going to...you know…" She blushes.

"Oh." I'm a little shocked. "Well, Felicity, don't do anything you're not ready for. Don't let him pressure you into anything."

"I know, I know that." Her blush flares again. "I just...wonder if it would be easier...to get him off my back…"

"Liss, no!" I'm protesting before she's finished her sentence. "I'm glad I've got you away with me this weekend. You need some distance from Ryan. He's not allowing you to think straight."

Clarity lights up her eyes. "You're right. Some space will be good for me. I need to think for myself."

"Yeah!" I back her up. "Enjoy some time away, make some new friends. Jake knows a lot of really nice people, and you'll love my family. Though…" I hesitate. "I should let you know a little about my family first."

"Okay." She sits up straighter, prepared for new information. I suppress a chuckle when I realize she's wishing she had a pen and paper to take notes on.

"It's nothing bad, I promise. It's just that my family is a bit...different."

"Different how?"

"Well, for example, they all look really young. Like I'm talking all under 30."

"Okay. Why is that?"

She can't repress her natural curiosity. I try to answer her as honestly as I can.

"My grandparents, my dad's parents, adopted all of their children when my grandparents were young and the kids were older."

"Okay, that makes sense. What else?"

"They're all...together."

"Together?"

"Yeah, like married."

"Oh! Okay. But none of the siblings are married, right?" She chuckles, and I assure her that we live incest free lives.

"And I know my uncles look intimidating, but I promise they're great."

"Oh I'm sure they are."

I smile as I get the feeling that Felicity will get along really well with my family.

"So what about your mom's dad and his wife?"

"Oh yeah. Charlie and Sue are really nice, but Charlie is really quiet, so don't be offended if he seems a bit scared by your personality, or tries to avoid you." We both laugh. "Sue is great, and she has two children, Leah and Seth. Leah has her own house and family on the La Push reservation, but Seth has a room at the house. He doesn't stay there anymore, he just has a room he sometimes uses."

"Okay. Will they be there tonight?"

"I'm sure Seth will, but Leah is a maybe. She might be there...she and Jake are good friends." We pass the sign telling us that we've entered the town. I grin. "We're almost there!"

**Seth's POV**

I could tell the girls were close when Jake perked up. Due to his imprinting, he felt better just being in the same town as her.

"They're close." I announce to the room, and Mom hurries to finish setting the table.

"Do you want help?" Leah and I both offer, but Leah is occupied by her youngest, Lily.

"No thank you. But do you mind pulling my car around back for me? I want to make sure the girls have enough room to park."

"Sure." Mom tosses me her keys and I walk outside.

When I've got the car in the back, I hear the girls arrive.

"Jacob!" Nessie's delighted squeal reaches me in the backyard, and I hear him rush to hug her.

Feeling strangely drawn to them again, I quickly park and walk in through the front door. It's then that I see her, and my whole world changes. Suddenly, nothing else matters. Nothing in the world. Except for her. The world could be ending right now, and I wouldn't care as long as she was with me. Heck, I probably wouldn't even notice.

"Everyone, this is Felicity Ferryn. Felicity, this is Charlie, Sue…." Nessie's voice fades out as I stare at Felicity, as I stare at my world. Felicity turns to face me and offers me a bright smile. It fades a little into confusion when she sees my stare.

"Uh…" I swallow in shock, and Felicity's head tilts slightly.

"Is he okay?" She chuckles lightly, and her beautiful laugh snaps me into speaking.

"I'm Seth. Hi." I hold my hand out to shake, and I realize how jumpy I am. Her hand is warm in mine, and I never want to let it go. But seeing as she doesn't know me, and I really don't want to scare her off, I do. "Uh, can I take that for you?" I gesture to the dish in her hand, not quite sure what it is.

"Oh, thank you." She smiles brightly and hands it to me. I stumble into the kitchen, Jacob right behind me.

"Woah, Seth. Did you-"

"I think so! I'm staring at her, and...she's all I see, and I never want to look away."

Jake leans against the counter. "Yeah, that's it." A soft smile slides on his face. "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Hopefully she'll dump her jackass boyfriend for you."

My heart sinks, but only slightly. How can I possibly feel sad when my whole world is in the other room? "Boyfriend?"

Jake pats my shoulder. "Sorry buddy. But trust me. Any time with her…" He smiles, thinking of Nessie. "It's more than enough."

I smile at him and take a deep breath. "Okay. Let's do this."


	4. Chapter 4

**Felicity's POV**

Leah and her husband send their kids off to play and the remaining eight of us gather in Charlie and Sue's living room, taking up every available space. Poor Seth has to sit on the floor.

"This is your house. Do you want to sit here?" I offer, but he quickly shakes his head.

"No way. Mom would hang me if I were ever to act so rude."

I giggle, and his face lights up. The sight causes my breath to catch in my throat. Surely he can't be happy because of me. He's probably thinking of something from earlier, something that made him smile.

"So Felicity," Charlie speaks in his kind, gravelly voice. "Nessie says you're from Georgia?"

The mention of my home causes a brief flicker of sadness to appear in my heart, but I quickly push it away. Instead, I focus on the positives. "Yes," There's a slightly wistful sigh in my voice. A millisecond later, Seth's head tilts, as though he's confused or worried. This causes my eyebrows to furrow in my own confusion. The silence expands, and I realize the room is waiting for me to elaborate. I'm quick to oblige. "I grew up in Carrollton, which is about an hour away from Atlanta, but most of my childhood was spent in the country at my cousin's ranch. I go there every summer." The fond memories rush back, and I close my eyes, allowing myself to soak them in.

Sue unknowingly interrupts my thoughts. "That sounds nice. Will you go back this summer?"

"Yep! I'll be spending the entire summer there, actually."

A chorus of polite "ooo"'s and "aah"'s sweeps through the room, and I smile.

There's a short lull in conversation, which Seth is quick to fill. "What are you studying?"

I grin sheepishly, suddenly a little self-conscious about my answer. I bite my lip, quickly shaking the negative feelings away. "I'm majoring in zoology and my minor is French."

His eyes light up again. They're a beautiful deep brown. "You like animals?"

Unable to help myself, I smile and sit up straighter. "I love them. I had so many pets growing up, and I can't imagine myself not being around animals."

"Do you have any pets now?"

A small pout clouds my face. "No. The dorms don't allow animals."

He frowns, and seems to really mean it when he says "That's too bad. What can I do to help?"

I blink, a bit shocked by the intensity in his eyes. I decide to play it smoothly though. "Convince the school's president to change her mind?"

He nods, completely serious. "Done. I'll call first thing in the morning. Or you know, maybe it's better if I go up there and-"

Jake's sudden and seemingly forced laugh interrupts Seth. Nessie and Leah quickly follow Jacob's lead. Seth's eyebrows draw together before understanding crosses his face. He smirks lightly, and for some unknown and cursed reason, my heart gives a little jump. His smirk falters and he freezes, as though he heard my heart's confusing betrayal. Jake clears his throat, and Seth jolts back to life.

"Joking, obviously." He smiles again and I politely giggle, still a little stunned by his behavior. And by mine.

I glance around and see that the room has been watching our exchange with varying reactions. Renesmee is trying her hardest to look casual, Jake is staring at us with a strange mixture of happiness and trepidation on his face. For some reason, he's cautions. Leah and her husband, Joshua, have knowing and happy looks on their faces. Charlie just looks confused. But Sue's reaction is by far the most alarming. Her mouth has formed a shocked "oh", and she's slowly blinking back tears. Startled, I glance towards Renesmee, looking for an answer. She smiles convincingly and mouths 'She's fine.' I nod, though I'm not completely appeased.

I scramble to alleviate the sudden awkwardness. "Seth, what do you do?"

He rubs the back of his neck self-consciously. "Well, I officially run a shop with Jake. We work on cars and bikes and stuff. But I'm also taking classes online. Right now I'm just getting the basics out of the way, but hopefully soon I'll choose a real major."

I smile, hoping to put him at ease. "I'm actually really glad that you and Jake run a shop. Sometimes my car has issues- it's good to know that I can bring it to friendly faces." Both Seth and Jake grin. "And as far as picking a major goes, take your time. You don't want to rush into something. Before you know it, you're in too deep and you're tied to something you despise for the rest of your life."

Before Seth can respond, Nessie coughs delicately. I turn automatically, and see that a mischievous look has entered her eye. "You know, what Felicity just said holds a lot of truth, and can be applied to many aspects of life. There are so many choices we're given, so many decisions we must make. Sometimes we need to take a step back, look at all of our options, and reevaluate." My eyes narrow. The fact that she is talking about my relationship with Ryan is not lost on me.

"Then again," I counter, "sometimes it's more about what you're used to, and what you feel comfortable with."

"Yeah, but are you comfortable with it?"

The people in the room seem to realize that we're not really talking about majors, because Jacob interrupts. "Wow, aren't they smart? This is what college must do."

Everyone chuckles, though Nessie and I's are a little forced. I smile at her though, letting her know that I'm not mad. She returns my gesture. After that, we all break off into smaller conversational groups. Nessie and Jacob disappear into the kitchen under the pretense of helping set up the kitchen for dinner, but I don't totally believe them. Seth doesn't either; he rolls his eyes in their direction and comes to sit in front of my chair.

"I swear, those two…" He tries to sound annoyed, but his smile gets in the way. I get the feeling that it would take a lot to truly upset Seth.

"Awh, give them a break. They haven't seen each other in a whole week!" I joke.

He smirks again, and my heart once again reacts in that funny, confusing way. "True." He answers, his smirk turning into an easy grin. "You said you're also studying French?"

I nod enthusiastically. "I love it. Nessie and Ryan? Not so much." I chuckle, easily remembering their annoyed faces and comments when I speak to them in a foreign language. It frustrates them.

Seth's eyebrows furrow. "Who's Ryan?"

I blush slightly, hesitant for some reason to tell him. "He's my boyfriend. Been together two years."

His eyebrows shoot up. "Wow, that's a long time. High school sweethearts then?"

I nod, less enthusiastically this time. "What about you?"

"Me?" He's confused.

"Got a girlfriend?" I furrow my eyebrows, realizing that I don't know his age. "Wife? Wait, how old are you?" I bite my lip, realizing that I could have come off as rude, though that was never my intention. Thankfully though, he chuckles.

"No girlfriend, no wife. Not even a fiancée." I chuckle with him, very much at ease. "And I'm twenty-four. Birthday wasn't too long ago."

I look him over, not too terribly shocked by his answer. He's very tall, with broad shoulders and nicely muscled. Though physically he could pass as old as twenty-six, the youthful glint in his eyes and slightly gangly build suggest he's a bit younger. After my assessment, I nod in acceptance.

"And you are?" He hedges.

I decide to play with him, letting my eyebrows shoot up in mock-outrage. "Shocked! Shocked that you would ask a lady such a rude question!"

His eyes grow wide, and he stammers broken apologies. "N-n-n-no, nononono. I'm-I'm so, I didn't mean-"

His terrified expression gets me, and I burst into a fit of giggles. His face scrunches up and he rolls his eyes when he sees that I'm joking, but I can see real relief in his eyes. Before long, he's smiling and laughing right along with me.

I throw my hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. That was mean. But your face!" A few more giggles escape me. "I'm eighteen, but my birthday is in five months. January sixteenth, don't forget it." I lean towards him slightly to emphasize my point.

"Never. In fact-" he pulls his phone out, and there are a few clicks. After about a minute, he holds his phone up proudly. "I'll get an alert!"

Pleased, I smile, clapping my hands lightly. "Now there's absolutely no excuse!"

He grins. "None."

Satisfied, I lean back into my chair.

"Hey, do you want a tour?" He's excited again. Unable to resist his enthusiasm, I respond with my own, nodding in earnest. He quickly stands up and offers me his hand. I take it, and am shocked by the warmth of his skin. He's burning up! But it's very pleasant on my cold skin.

"Oh my gosh, you're hot!" I gasp in a weird mixture of surprise, happiness, and concern.

I'm met with amused chuckles from his family and a smug look from Seth.

"Nice of you to finally notice." He jokes, causing a blush to flare.

"Woah, no I didn't mean it like-I mean-I'm not saying you're not-" His eyebrows shoot up at this, so I quickly continue. "I mean-your skin is-"

By now his family is in hysterics and Seth is standing in front of me, an expectant look on his face. "Go on, don't be shy. You were saying how hot I am?" His tone is playful, but I decide to stop before I can embarrass myself any further.

I take a deep breath, hoping to calm my blush. "You know what? I'm just gonna shut up now. Lead the way." I silently curse the awkwardness I inherited from my mom.

Everyone laughs again as Seth pulls me from the room, still holding my hand. Enjoying the warmth, I decide not to let it go just yet. The house is really cold- I'd been forcing back shivers all night.

"This is the hall…" he leads me through a long-ish hallway with doors on both sides. "This is the kitchen." He walks in and pulls me around the island. "This is Jacob and Nessie's 'Secret Make-Out Spot'." I laugh at my friends who are scrambling to look innocent. Nessie climbs off Jake's lap and frantically fixes her hair. Jake looks slightly more relaxed.

"Nah, don't worry, we're outta here." Seth declares. "I'm just giving Felicity the tour."

"Gee, we're so honored to be an attraction." Jacob scowls.

Seth grins impishly and pulls me back out the way we came in. I wave happily at my friends, and they both smirk. We continue with the tour, Seth pointing out the bathroom, a couple of closets, Charlie and Sue's room, and the laundry room as we go. "And here are the stairs." I giggle as he tugs me quickly upwards, stopping suddenly at stair number four. "Fun fact, I've fixed this stupid stair twelve times." He grimaces through his smile.

"Well if you fixed it right the first time, you wouldn't have to keep correcting your mistake." I tease.

He opens his mouth in what I can only describe as shocked delight and teases back. "Well I'd like to see you try, miss Know-It-All."

"Fine!" I challenge. "Next time it breaks, give me a call and provide me with a hammer and some nails and stuff. I'll fix it in no time. Permanently." I snap to emphasize my point.

His delighted smile expands, and I'm filled with sudden, unexplainable joy. Due to this easy joking, I feel happy, almost light. "I'll do just that! But don't worry. I won't make you struggle and humiliate yourself for too long before I step in and fix it."

"For the thirteenth time." I roll my eyes playfully, to which he just laughs.

"Come on." He tugs me again up the stairs, reminding me to watch Stupid Stair Number Four. Right off the stairs is a door, on which Seth knocks.

"Come in!" Two tiny voices chime.

Seth opens the door and we poke our heads in. I see Leah's two little girls, Lily and Sarah, playing with various puzzles and dolls.

"How's it goin'?"

"Good." They respond.

"Unca Seth, Unca Seth!" Lily, no more than two, runs up to him and reaches for his free hand. "Look what I make!" She impatiently tugs us to a table, once white, but now nearly completely covered in various marker drawings. I stifle a laugh, not wanting to hurt her feelings, and turn to Seth. A slightly panicky smile spreads across his face.

"That's beautiful Lily! But uh...we might not want to draw on the table anymore...Aunt Sue might be upset…" He rubs the back of his neck again, showing that he's at a loss for how to handle this. Lily stares up at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes.

I decide to put him out of his misery. "Here," I pull my hand from his, instantly missing his warmth. Shaking my head slightly to remove those unwanted thoughts, I bend down to collect some blank paper scattered across the floor. Both the girls and Seth watch me curiously as I grab the tape off the table and begin connecting the papers with tape. Seth quickly catches on and helps me, speeding up the process. After all the papers are connected, I tape the now one big sheet of paper to the table and step back to admire my work. "Now you can color all you want!"

"Yay!" Lily runs over to the table, happily beginning a new original creation.

"Lily, can you say 'thank you' to Felicity?" Seth proudly reminds her of her manners, and I again stifle a laugh.

"Thank you 'Licity!" Lily beams and dives back into her drawings.

"See you guys at dinner!" Seth turns and I follow him from the room, gushing as we go.

"Your nieces are so cute!"

"Oh yeah." He agrees easily. "I think you've already made a friend with Lily."

I grin happily. "Good. Because I think she's absolutely adorable. She made me miss all of my cousins."

"How many do you have?" He inquires.

"I'm the oldest of seventeen grandchildren."

His eyebrows shoot up. "Wow. That's a lot."

I chuckle. "Yeah. I really like it though. I love having a big family."

He purses his lips, thoughtful. "I can see what you mean. My friends and I, we're all really close. More like brothers than anything. So their parents are like extra sets of parents, and their siblings are like mine. With my friends...no, brothers...everyone takes care of everyone."

His eyes are far away, thinking of pleasant memories. I can't help but stare, though I feel like I'm intruding on his peace.

"That sounds really nice." I finally murmur.

"Yeah." He grins again. "You should meet them sometime. They'd like you a lot."

My face breaks into a grin of my own. "I would love to! It sounds like I would enjoy their company."

He chuckles, presumably at my formal approach, before beckoning me to follow him once again. He leads me to a door a little further down on the other side of the hall and throws it open.

"This is my room."

I follow him inside his room and have a look around. It's about the same size as my room back at the dorm, but it's less cluttered. A long wooden bed adorned with deep blue covers, a standard desk, and a TV are the main attractions. I chuckle at the length of the bed.

"Because you're so tall?"

"My head and feet used to dangle off before we found this." We laugh.

"Nessie said you don't spend all of your time here?" I inquire, walking around the room as I look at the posters and pictures on his wall.

"Nope. Since I'm technically an adult, it's kind of lame to be living with my mom and stepdad, so I spend most of my time on the Rez."

I furrow my eyebrows. "The Rez?"

"The La Push Reservation. It's where all of us Native Americans live." He clarifies with a short chuckle.

"Oh!" I'm intrigued. "Do you like it there?"

He nods emphatically. "Oh yeah. We've got a gorgeous beach-do you like beaches?"

Now it's my turn to nod.

"Then you'll love ours." He continues with a wide smile. "Most of the time it's too cold for most people to swim, but I can handle it. Plus, we've got these cliffs that we like to jump off of into the sea. It's so much fun." His eyes widen at the fun memories, and I can't help the excitement that courses through me.

"That sounds amazing! Can I come sometime?"

His smile grows. "Of course! I'll give you the Insider's Tour. Show ya everything that really matters on the Rez. And when we go, you can meet my friends!"

"Okay!" I enthuse, happy with our loose plans. A picture on the desk catches my eye. I pick it up. "Are these them? Your friends?"

He glances at the picture and nods, pointing out who's who. "Yep. This is Quil, Embry, Jake-you know, my sister, Sam, Jared, Paul, Collin, and Brady."

"Wow." I gape. "You're all really tall." Not to mention, muscular. My cheeks redden slightly at the errant thought, and I quickly move my hair to hide my blush.

"Yeah." He grins. "It's a Quileute thing."

My eyebrows furrow once again.

"My tribe." He clarifies.

I nod, and am about to continue with my questions when Nessie and Jake poke their heads through the open door.

"Dinner's ready." Jake says with a grin. Seth and I enthusiastically follow them out, ready to eat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Nessie's POV**

The four of us rush to the dining room, easily excited by the array of food waiting for us. The table is too small to accommodate everyone, even with the extra chairs pulled up. Seth kindly and readily gives his seat to Felicity, who blushes and thanks him. Jake and I handle our seat situation in a slightly different fashion. We see the single chair left, and both know that it's on. We dash forward, lightly shoving each other out of the way as we go. I cheat slightly, calling upon a bit of my extra speed to win. I plop into the chair, feeling very satisfied, and grin cheekily at Jacob who playfully rolls his eyes before ruffling my hair. Everyone chuckles indulgently at us, making my heart swell with comfort and joy.

"I'll get you for that later." Jake's husky voice at my ear holds a promise. I shiver, but definitely not out of fear.

"I'll hold you to that." I challenge back, lightly pecking him on the lips before pushing him away to his place of banishment on the floor near Seth.

The boys take their less than stellar seats in stride, using their newfound leg space to stretch out, a luxury for the tall Quileute boys.

Throughout dinner, I keep a careful, hopefully inconspicuous watch on Felicity and Seth. He's obviously totally and completely committed to her. I can see in his eyes, the set of his shoulders, the tilt of his head, everything, how she draws him in, how he absolutely needs to be with her. It's much like the way Jake regards me. But I can see that Felicity is more reserved, more cautious. When Seth makes her laugh, she almost seems...hesitant to show the true happiness on her face, like she's out of practice. It clicks in my brain that this is because she is out of practice. Of course when it's just her and me, or us plus Jake, she is completely and totally herself. She laughs freely, tells jokes, shares her opinion. But as soon as Ryan enters the room, or the threat of his presence looms, she withdraws. She throws up a shade, keeping her real emotions locked securely inside of her while she presents a carefully constructed facade to her boyfriend. My realization makes me uncomfortable, and I slouch slightly in my seat. Jake notices.

"Everything okay?" He's pushed himself off the floor to kneel next to me, his head easily reaching mine. The rest of our friends and family are too occupied to notice us.

"I'm fine." I emphasize the 'I'. He notices that too, and raises an eyebrow. "I'll explain later."

He nods, reassured, and gives my hand a squeeze before sinking back to the floor.

Observing Seth and Felicity makes dinner fly by, and before I know it, we're all gathered in the living room, shrugging on our jackets and saying goodbye. Jake pulls me into the hallway, gathering me in a tight hug. I grip him just as eagerly.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" His breath is hot on my neck, a feeling I adore.

"Bright and early."

"So for you, that means noon?"

He chuckles as I hit him playfully on his arm.

"But yes. Noon is good." I amend, causing him to laugh heartily and pull me close once again. I take this as an opportunity to sneakily press my lips to his. He doesn't complain. Obviously. Instead, he grips my waist, fingers sliding just barely under my shirt, grazing my skin. A thrill runs down my spine. Too soon, he pulls back, and I fake pout.

"Tease." I grimace at him, though we both know I'm only joking.

"Angel." He shoots back affectionately. I smile, successfully appeased.

Taking his hand, I lead him back into the living room in time to see a slightly awkward goodbye conversation between Seth and Felicity.

"So uh, I'll see you again, hopefully." Seth rubs the back of his neck, obviously nervous and slightly anxious. His anxiety presumably comes from the looming separation of him from his imprint. I've seen the same look in Jake's eyes many times before.

"Yeah!" Felicity's voice is eager and chipper. It hurts my ears a little, to be honest. But this is a qualify of hers that I've been slowly getting used to. "I'm sure I'll be down again sometime soon. My nan lives close to Forks, just outside city limits."

Seth visibly brightens. "That's awesome! Now you don't have to make up a lame excuse just to see me."

Jake and I both work hard to hold in laughter at Seth's attempt at flirting. Felicity, however, blushes at his boldness and gives him a final, slightly lingering smile before ducking out the door. I hear her foot catch on something outside, and nearly lose it. I squeeze Jake's hand one more time before heading to the door.

"Good luck with that Seth." I lower my voice. "And, as much as it pains me to say this, because I truly cannot stand the guy, and I love you, but maybe hold off on the lame flirting. She has a boyfriend, and you don't want to scare her off. She's very…" I pause, searching for the right word. "Loyal." That about sums her up.

Seth nods seriously, taking my advice to heart before giving me a sincere hug. "Take care of her."

I roll my eyes. "Duh."

I walk outside and join Felicity by the car, unlocking the door for her. She practically jumps in, shaking from the chill.

"How are you cold?" I question incredulously. "It's fall, and it's barely chilly outside."

She shivers again, so I turn up the heat. "I told you," her body twitches with another round of shivers. "I'm pretty much always cold. It's a freaking curse." She frowns and places her hands in front of the vents.

Chuckling lightly, I back out of the driveway and begin the familiar route home.

"Are you sure your family won't mind me staying? I'm absolutely fine to stay with my nan." Uncertainty clouds her voice, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Of course they don't mind. Grandma's already prepared a guest bedroom for you, and everyone is dying to meet you. You're kind of an anomaly, you know."

Her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"I've never really had a close friend before, someone other than Jake or my family. They're very...curious about you."

She beams. "Well, I'm honored to be your first close friend, excluding boyfriend and relatives." Though her words could be taken as sarcastic, I can hear that she truly means them.

I smile back, and we're quiet for a few minutes. It begins to rain.

"Can you text my parents and let them know we're about eight minutes away? They might bring us umbrellas."

She nods, reaching for my phone. It's password protected, but she breezes right through it, guessing on the first try that the numbers correspond with the letters to spell 'JAKE'. She jokingly rolls her eyes and does as I asked.

It's silent again. "So what did you think of everyone at dinner?" I mentally pat myself on the back for how casual I sound.

Felicity smiles easily. "They're all so nice and welcoming! I can see why you like spending time with them. And Leah's little girls are so adorable. I could eat them up!"

I smile back, but notice that a certain someone is obviously missing from her assessment.

"And Seth? What do you think about him?"

She blushes in the dark, but of course I see it.

"He's...nice. Very easy to get along with."

I'm highly unsatisfied with her answer, but I let that be it for now. I'll just continue this interrogation later when she's tired and more forthcoming.

Within a few minutes, I'm pulling in front of the main house. Felicity's eyes are wide, making me chuckle.

"A lot of people live here." I try to explain why the house is so big, but she just nods and composes herself.

As predicted, my parents are waiting to rush out to greet us, kindly bearing umbrellas. Aunt Rose is right behind them, ready to drive my car to the garage. Mom pushes typical human speed and rushes to throw open my door and envelop me in a tight hug. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my dad, ever the gentleman, opening the door for Felicity and offering his hand. I hug Mom tightly back before moving on to Aunt Rose. Dad leaves the umbrella with Felicity so he can grab our bags from the trunk in one hand, then taking the umbrella back in the other and holding it over her head. She smiles in gratitude.

"Thanks Aunt Rose." I kiss her on the cheek and pass her my car keys.

My parents rush us into the house, my mom still gripping my arm tightly. "Baby, I missed you so much! You have to tell us absolutely everything about your first week."

I'm about to agree, but I'm suddenly bombarded with greetings and hugs. I glance at Felicity, and see that she bears a slightly calmer fate. Aunt Alice is the only one who hugs her, but I can see that Grandma wants to. When Felicity sees Uncle Jasper, her eyes widen. She stares. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Yes, everyone in the house is inhumanly attractive, but the outright staring is a little much. Dad chuckles silently at my thoughts and pulls me into his arms.

"I-I'm sorry." Felicity seems to become aware of her staring and blushes. "I don't mean to be rude. It's just, you are the spitting image of this great-great-however-many-great's uncle of mine." My family grows still, a sure sign of stress.

"What did he do?" I ask, hoping to calm everyone by showing that Uncle Jasper's identity is safe. It's probably not actually Uncle Jasper she's thinking of.

"He was some big to-do in the Civil War, I think. A really young major, or maybe a general...I don't know for sure, I've only seen pictures and heard some stories. But I do know that he went MIA, presumed dead." She shrugged, like she hadn't just shaken my entire family's carefully constructed facade. "Who knows if it's even true."

They have nearly the same hair color, I think, waiting for a response from my dad. He nods ever so slightly, still stressed. Uncle Jasper collects himself and sends calm vibes fluttering through the room. Everyone visibly relaxes.

"What a cute story!" Aunt Alice gushes, then quickly changes topics. "So, how do you like college?"

Felicity is quickly and effectively occupied with my family's getting-to-know-you interrogation. I sit on a loveseat, smushed between my parents, Aunt Rose on the floor by my feat. My heart warms, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by people I love, people who love me. Felicity shivers, and Grandpa rushes to turn up the heat while Grandma flits away. I smell hot chocolate beginning in the kitchen, and grin in anticipation. Grandma Esme's hot chocolate is the best. Grandpa is in the middle of questioning Felicity about zoology and her career path-of course he's interested in anything slightly medical, and I can't help but smile fondly- when Grandma returns with two steaming cups topped with a heap of whipped cream. Felicity and I both smile in appreciation and thank her. Felicity seems to warm up after a few minutes.

Eventually, the conversation expands to include questions thrown at me, which I answer readily. Yes, I love college. Obviously, I adore my roommate. Of course, I miss you all. No, Emmett, I haven't gotten drunk yet. My parents hiss under their breaths at that one, making me laugh. Around midnight, Felicity tries to stifle a yawn and fails.

"Oh how silly of us!" Grandma rushes to apologize. "Of course you're tired. Nessie, you too. Come on, I'll show you to your room."

Felicity smiles gratefully and stands up, me following suit. I hug everyone 'goodnight' since it's really only Felicity and I who will be sleeping, and Grandma leads us up to where a guest bedroom is. Grandma went all out for Felicity. The two beds, and practically everything else in the room, are brand new, though I'm not sure Felicity's less-sensitive eyes can tell. The room even smells light and calming, like lavender.

Felicity gushes her thanks and gives Grandma Esme a hug that is readily returned. She bids us goodnight and walks gracefully away. I close the door and hop onto the bed with my bag on it as Felicity does the same.

"Ness, I love your family."

I chuckle. "Me too."

"They're so kind and welcoming. And your Uncle Jasper seriously does look like my however-many-great's-" She's stopped short by her phone's ringtone.

She frowns, and then recognition covers her face as she digs in her bag for her cellphone. "Whoops, I guess I put it in my bag and forgot. Here it is!" She pulls out her iPhone proudly, then grimaces when she looks at the screen. "Oh no."

"What?"

"Sixteen missed calls and twenty-seven text messages, all from Ryan."

I join her in a groan.

"Hang on." She dials his number, and it rings a few times before he picks up. I hear his angry, gruff voice on the other side of the phone.

"Why the hell haven't you answered me?"

Felicity rolls her eyes, but I wince. I've never heard a guy be as mean to the girl he supposedly loves as Ryan is to Felicity. Jake has never raised his voice or even sounded remotely angry towards me. And no one in my family has ever been rude or gruff to their other half. Love isn't supposed to be mean. Hearing it though, seeing it with my own eyes, unsettles me.

"Sorry Rye, I've been out with Nessie all day and left my phone in my bag. Didn't mean to make you worry." Her voice is calm, though I can see slight annoyance in her eyes. Good.

"Yeah, well don't forget again. And I wasn't worried, I was annoyed." His voice is harsh, causing me to wince again. "Where are you anyway?"

Felicity sighs. "Forks. I told you I would be spending the weekend with Nessie and her family."

"I wasn't listening. What's in Forks anyway? And hey, if your roommate was going to be gone for the whole weekend, you should've stayed! We could have had the whole room to ourselves." His less-than-innocent thoughts are clear in his voice. "You're so stupid." My anger flares.

"I'm not-" Felicity starts, and then sighs, for some unknown reason deciding not to defend herself. "Hey, I'm really tired. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"You better."

Felicity hangs up, wearing a frown. She stares into space for a few minutes before blinking. I realize that she's trying not to cry.

"Awh, Liss." I jump from my bed and sit next to her, hugging her close. She rests her head on my shoulder and shuts her eyes tightly. A few tears escape.

"I'm sorry, I'm not normally like this. I'm just tired, is all."

"Liss...no you're not...you're upset. And Ryan made you that way." I don't want to upset her even more, but she has to understand that this relationship she's in is so unhealthy!

She doesn't say anything, just continues to rest her head on me and fight back tears. Eventually, her breaths become even. She's fallen asleep. Gently, I push her off my shoulder, take off her shoes, and tuck her into bed, still in her clothes.

As I begin readying myself for bed, I hear a tentative knock on my door. I open it to see Aunt Rose in the hallway, smiling sadly. I push back to join her outside my room, not wanting to wake up Felicity.

"Hey."

"Hey sweetie. Um...we all heard Felicity on the phone...is everything alright?"

I roll my eyes. "Her boyfriend is a jerk and she's too sweet to do anything about it."

Her frown deepens. "I gathered that. Just...if you can...try to convince her that this isn't healthy? I uh...know a thing or two about bad guy decisions, and a boy who is mean, controlling, and degrading like that...well, it can get dangerous. And of course, we don't want anything to happen to her, but we also don't want you around something like that…"

"Don't worry." I hurry to reassure her, not wanting her to suggest me switching roommates like I think she wants to. "Ryan's never been violent towards her." As far as I know. "Just rude." Aunt Rose doesn't look satisfied. "And anyways, I'm not entirely sure he'll be a problem much longer."

"Why?" She's dubious.

I lower my voice so it will only be audible to vampire hearing. "Seth imprinted on her tonight. And I know better than anyone that no one can resist the level of adoration and commitment that comes with imprinting."

I catch her slight grimace at my mention of imprinting, and by extension, the wolves, but she seems slightly more appeased.

"Well that's…" She struggles to work out her mixed feelings. "Better than Ryan. Hopefully this will play out fast."

I nod, and smile and hug her. "Thanks for the concern Aunt Rose."

She hugs be back. "Anytime."


	6. Chapter 6

**Nessie's POV**

Felicity wakes up around eight and tries to drag me out of bed. I resist the urge to swat her.

"I'm not productive until noon!" I insist.

"I'm not asking you to be productive, I'm asking you to get dressed." Her tone is even, and with a well supported pull, she's tugged me into a sitting position. "There." Her voice is smug, and I look up and see that she's already dressed.

"Why?"

She grins. "I'm planning to go see Grandma for an hour or two. Want to come?"

I shake my head. "Thanks, but I want to spend some time with my own family."

She nods understandingly.

There's a pause, and I feel like I should address what happened last night between her and Ryan. I chicken out. "Once you're done with Miss Gertie, do you want to drive down to La Push with me? You can meet the rest of Jake's friends, and I bet Seth will be there." _If Felicity is there, then of course Seth will_ _be_ , I think.

She blushes, and I resist the urge to grin.

"Uh, sure. I'll have to bring some homework though."

I roll my eyes, but agree. A sudden thought occurrs to me. "Hey wait. How are you getting there?"

"To Grandma's? I was going to walk."

"She lives fifteen miles away." She furrows her eyebrows, as if not understanding how that would be an obstacle.

"I'll jog then."

"Felicity, that's stupid. I'll drive-" I'm cut off by my phone ringing. Seeing that it's Jake, I gesture for Felicity to wait a minute while I answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Oh my God, you're awake." Jake's voice is playfully shocked.

"I have been known to occasionally rise before noon."

"Yeah, like four times."

"Ha. Ha." I joke back. "So what's up?"

"Seth and I have to run through Forks to pick up a few parts. Want to meet us?"

I smile. "Felicity and I were actually going to drive down in a few hours. But this works too!" An idea hits me, and my grin widens. "Hey, here's a thought. Felicity wants to go see her Grandma, and she insists on walking there." Even though he can't see me, I roll my eyes for Felicity's benefit. "How about instead, you and Seth come here, Seth drives her there, you and I go get the parts, and then we all meet in Forks?"

"Won't that be a bit awkward? I mean, I want it to work out just as much as you do, but they only met last night."

"Nah." I insist. "I think it will work out just fine."

Felicity jumps in. "I don't want them to have to go out of their way!"

I roll my eyes once more. "Felicity, it's fine. They're already on their way." Before she can argue further, I tell Jake 'bye' and hop up to get dressed.

There's a lull while Felicity looks down and plays with her fingers. I sigh. "What?"

"Will it be weird?"

"Of course not."

She continues like I haven't spoken. "He doesn't even know my grandma, and he barely knows me. I don't want him to feel awkward, or obligated."

I turn to face her. "Liss, trust me. It would take quite a lot to make Seth Clearwater feel _awkward_. You saw him last night-he's very amiable. Your grandma will probably want to keep him."

At this, she chuckles, but I can tell that she's still a bit uneasy.

I sigh. "If you don't want to spend time with Seth, I can call Jake and cancel…"

She shakes her head frantically, and I smile. "Then why are you putting up a fight?"

She's quiet as she looks down, playing with her fingers once again. I catch on. "Felicity, enjoying another guy's company is not cheating on your boyfriend." _Not that I'm_ not _encouraging something like that…._

"But in Ryan's eyes, it would be. Besides, I still feel guilty."

I turn and put my hands on her shoulders, forcing her to focus. "You are letting a nice guy-a friend of a friend that you get along well with-give you a ride. It's honestly not a big deal. It's not even a little deal."

At this, she chuckles. "Okay."

"Good." I drop my hands and straighten back up. "But if you just wanted to make out with him in the car…"

"Nessie!" She throws her hands up in humored exasperation and we dissolve into laughing fits.

**Felicity's POV**

About a half hour later, there's a knock on the guest room door.

"Come in!"

Nessie's grandma enters the room. "Good morning girls! How did you sleep?"

"Great! Thank you so much for setting this room up." I smile at Esme.

"Oh, I'm just glad I had an excuse to do it. I love decorating and designing."

"Really?" I'm intrigued. "I like to think that I enjoy it, but in reality I get bored and leave projects unfinished. You should've seen my room back home."

She chuckles, as does Nessie.

"I just came up here to let you two know that breakfast is ready and the boys are here."

"Yay!" Nessie races down the stairs, and Esme and I chuckle as we follow her at a slightly slower pace.

"Mornin' Esme!" Seth hugs her, and out of the corner of my eye I see Nessie's Aunt Rosalie roll her eyes. _Huh. Not sure how I feel about that._ "Good morning, Felicity!" I finish descending the stairs and am greeted by a quick hug from Seth. I can't help but smile and hug him back.

"Good morning Seth, Jake."

Jake looks up from staring at Nessie just long enough to smile at me. I grin at them.

"Would you all like breakfast?" Esme offers. We nod enthusiastically.

I follow everyone into the kitchen and sit at the counter between Seth and Nessie. Not too long after that, our plates are piled with pancakes and bacon.

"So," Seth turns to me, already on his second plate. "What's the plan for today?"

I finish chewing. "Well, my grandma is expecting me around 9:45, it's 9:03 now, and I'm guessing it takes about twenty minutes to get there from here. So we should probably leave around 9:20?"

Seth nods. "9:20 it is. Lunch plans are flexible, so we can stay as long as you like."

I smile. "Great." He smiles back. We're stuck like that for a while.

We're interrupted by the sound of someone bounding down the stairs. "Morning everyone." Emmett hops into the kitchen, Grabbing Rosalie by the waist and kissing her. Esme pretends to be annoyed, but can't quite manage it.

"Jeep's packed, we're gonna head out."

Nessie asks the question before I can. "Where are you going?"

Emmett's eyes gleam. "Hunting, about twenty miles west. We'll be back late tonight.

She gets up to hug him. "You and Uncle Jazz?"

"And Alice."

My eyes widen. No matter how hard I try, I can't picture petite, delicate Alice picking up a gun and shooting down an animal five times her weight. Renesmee's dad must be thinking along the same lines, because he chuckles.

Nevertheless, Alice joins us in the kitchen, dressed in a very practical-yet very fashionable-outfit. She grins. "We'll see you girls tomorrow if you're asleep when we get home. Felicity, it was so nice to meet you." She hugs us both and kisses me on the cheek before grabbing Emmett's arm and leading him outside to the garage.

I glance at Seth. "We should probably go, too."

He nods and stands.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Esme. And breakfast. That was the best I've eaten in awhile!"

Nessie grins. "Neither of us like cooking. Liss is _good_ at it,"

"I just don't like taking the time to do it." I finish. Everyone chuckles.

"Well, anytime you two want a home-cooked meal, don't hesitate to call." I can see in Esme's eyes that she means this.

"Thank you." I give her a hug, as does Seth, and we start towards the door.

"Liss? Your bag?"

"Oh, right!" I hurry to the living room, where Nessie is meeting me with my bag.

She playfully rolls her eyes. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"Bye."

I follow Seth out to a brownish-green truck parked in the front, presumably his.

"It's not pretty, but it drives."

I grin. "I like things that have character."

He holds the passenger side door open, and I climb in, smiling.

"Okay, so get out of this driveway and turn right." Seth nods and begins to drive.

"What do you need the parts for?"

He grins. "We're building a car."

My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. " _Building a car_?" He chuckles. "I thought you could only do that in factories with conveyer belts...I've never known anyone to just casually say that they're _building_ a car."

He laughs again at my incredulity. "It's not gonna be a nice car, but we can make some money off of it. I can show you what we're doing later today."

"Okay." I grin at his offer.

"So tell me. You seem really close to your family. Why move to the other side of the country?"

I take a moment to think before answering. "I love my family, I really do. I've just spent most of my life trapped in one place. I always new I would use college as an opportunity to explore someplace new. The scholarship to Washington University helped me make my decision."

"Do you think you'll finish out school here?"

"Oh yeah." I answer with certainty. "I haven't seen much of Washington, but so far I love it. When I have a free weekend, I want to explore. Maybe go hiking."

"I know a few great trails...we could go sometime?"

A smile spreads across my face without my consent. "Please."

He turns his head to smile at me and we continue the drive to Grandma's house.


	7. Chapter 7

**Felicity’s POV**

“Hi, Grandma!” She flings the door open with a huge smile on her face. 

“Felicity, my dear! Come in, come in! Oh, who is this strapping young fellow?” She’s caught sight of Seth, who is standing behind me. 

“This is Seth Clearwater. Seth, this is my Grandma Gertrude.”

“Nice to meet you.” He reaches around me to shake her hand enthusiastically. 

“No more Ryan, I take it?” A mischievous glint is in Grandma’s eyes.

“Oh, Seth is just a friend. I actually only met him last night!” I turn to smile at Seth, and our eyes lock. He has the loveliest brown eyes...they remind me of melting chocolate. He responds to my smile with a sideways smile of his own, and I blush a little. Cursing my lack of control over my face, I turn to Grandma. “How have you been?”

She leads us into the living room and beckons us to sit. Seth and I sit on the couch across from the chair Grandma occupies, but we leave a little space between us. For some reason, I itch to close the gap. I do not, however, and focus on Grandma. 

“Oh, nothing too exciting. Retirement is treating me well, although those idiotic faculty members still ask me to come in and write curriculum. Sometimes I get to see the kids, though, and that’s nice. I’m planning a trip to Spain.”

“ _ What? _ ” My shock bubbles out in the form of a laugh. 

She nods proudly. “In March. I have enough money saved up, and I’m not getting any younger, so I decided I should go while I’m still mobile. Fred, poor Fred, do you remember Fred? Poor Fred fell and broke his hip. The doctors say it will take him years to learn how to properly walk again-he  _ refuses _ to have a surgery-but I suspect he hasn’t got but four or five years left. He’s quite old.”

I vaguely remember an elderly man named Fred, but nothing too specific comes to mind. “Well, that’s amazing, Grandma! Depending when in March, I can house-sit. Spring Break is March...something.”

“That would be wonderful, dear, thank you! Once you find out the dates, give me a call and I’ll buy my tickets based on that.”

“Sure!” 

“But enough about me. Tell me all about college!”

I blush, suddenly a little self-conscious under their stares. “It’s pretty good! I love my roomate, Nessie. My first week of classes was fun, although I already have enough homework to keep me busy. I joined a zoology club on campus, which will hopefully open the door for internships and such. I’ve made a couple of friends in my classes, but I haven’t had much time to explore campus. I think I’ll probably do that next weekend. Seth says there are some good hiking trails around here, so hopefully we can check those out soon.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see him grin and nod. 

“And Ryan?”

“He’s Ryan.” Grandma chuckles humorlessly in response. I try again. “Uh, he’s actually in the process of joining a fraternity right now. I’m not sure what it’s called, but he seems to like it.”

“Be careful at parties.” Grandma warns. 

“Of course.” I smile reassuringly. 

“Seth, tell me a little about yourself.”

He straightens. “Yeah! I live on the La Push Reservation with some friends. I work in an auto-repair shop that my buddy Jake runs. Jake is actually her roommate’s boyfriend. That’s how I got to meet her!” He points at me, and I grin and flip my hair jokingly. “I’m taking some general online classes now and eventually I’ll pick something more concrete to study. I like to run.” For some reason, he smirks, as if there’s a joke I’m missing. 

“Well Seth, it is  _ so  _ nice to meet you.” Grandma sits back in her chair for a moment and stares at us with a smile. “I’ll go make us a snack.” 

I stand. “Oh, I can do that, Grandma.”

“No, no, you stay here.” She stands and pats my hand. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes with some cheese and crackers.” She leaves the room and Seth and I are alone. 

I turn towards him. “What does the rest of our day look like?”  _ Our.  _

He grins. “After we’re finished here-no rush, by the way-we’ll get second lunch with Jake and Nessie” I chuckle, “and then head to La Push. You can meet some more of the guys and I can show you the beach.” 

“Sounds like a nice day!” We smile at each other, and our eyes lock once more. Grandma walks into the room; I take a deep breath and look away, biting back a wider smile. 

The three of us eat the snacks Grandma provides and continue talking about random things. I tell Grandma of my plans to return home for Christmas and invite her to come with me. She says she’ll think about it, but I expect her to say no. She rarely gets along with the other members of my family. Even though my parents named me after her-Felicity is her middle name-there are some hard feelings lingering from a wedding a few years back. I didn’t attend the wedding, so I’m still not sure what it’s all about, but I know that there was a big fight and Grandma left in a huff. 

After about two hours, I decide it’s time to leave. We exchange hugs and I promise to visit at least once a month. Grandma practically begs Seth to come back with me-she adores him-and he agrees with one of his easy grins. 

We walk back to Seth’s truck and he holds the door open for me again. “Thank you.”

“Sure.”

We drive to a diner Nessie likes to meet up with her and Jake, who have been busy gathering the parts needed for the car. They’re already there with seats saved and food ordered. 

“Liss, I got you something with chicken. You like chicken, right?” Nessie seems distracted. A quick look under the table tells me Jacob’s hand running up and down her thigh might just be the reason. 

“I do, thank you.” 

Seth gives me a side roll of his eyes. I suppress a chuckle, but agree. This could get annoying.

“How was your morning?”

“Hmm?” Nessie finally actually looks at me. “Oh, it was fine. We got the stuff!” Jacob’s eyes never leave Nessie. 

Seth decides to give them a little space. “I’m gonna go pick a song on the jukebox. Felicity, wanna come?”

I practically jump out of my seat. “Yes please.”

As I walk away from the table, I hear Jacob whisper in Nessie’s ear. “I am so in love with you.” My heart aches. Ryan never says things like that. 

“What do you want to hear?” 

“Hmmm.” I purse my lips as I think. “The Killers.”

He dips his head in approval and picks a song.  _ Somebody Told Me  _ blasts from the speakers as we walk back to our booth. Jacob and Nessie seem to have collected themselves, but after Jacob’s sweet confession, I don’t think them being all cuddly would bother me anymore. 

Nessie starts up the conversation. “How was your grandma?”

“She’s doing well, I think! She has a trip planned for Spain that she’s really excited about, which makes me happy. She loved Seth.” I turn to look at Seth, who has a proud look on his face. 

“Nice, nice.” Jacob reaches across the table to pat Seth on the shoulder. 

The waitress delivers the food to the table, then. We’re silent for a few minutes as we focus on our food, and then we drift back to conversation. Soon, we’re finished and hopping back into cars so we can head to La Push. 

“The guys are going to love you. They’re all so excited to meet you,” Seth tells me once we’re on the road. 

“You’ve told them about me?” For reasons I can’t explain, this makes me happy, and Seth notices. 

“Well yeah. You’re awesome.”

I laugh once and look at my hands, which are playing with each other. “Thank you.” I want to say more, but Ryan’s face pops into my brain, so I change topics. “What will we do first?”

He doesn’t seem affected by my slight change in topics. “Jake really wants to work on the car, so I imagine he and Nessie will stay at his house while I show you around. Does that work for you?”

“Yep! I have an assignment due Monday, so I’ll have to get a little bit of reading done while I’m here. I brought my book.” I pull it out of my backpack for him to see even though he’s driving. 

“ _ Things Fall Apart _ , by Chinua Achebe,” he reads off the cover. 

“It’s for a historiography course. I have to have the first six chapters read by Monday. I’m on chapter four.”

“Do you like to read?”

I can’t help the smile that crosses my face. “I love it. School books aren’t always as interesting as I would like them to be, but this one is incredibly interesting. It makes you think a lot.”

“I’m not much of a reader, but if you’re recommending it, I’ll have to give it a shot.” 

My smile grows. “I can lend it to you when I’m done with it?”

“Great!” He smiles back at me. 

He asks me questions about what I like to read all the way to La Push. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Jacob’s POV**

“We’ll meet you at the beach at 3:30,” Nessie tells Seth and Felicity. 

Seth’s nose crinkles in guilt. “Are you sure you don’t need me to stay and help, Jake? I don’t want you to have to work on the car by yourself…” I see the conflict in his eyes. He’s torn between his duty to me and his duty to his imprint. Both have incredibly strong pulls, but duty to his imprint might be stronger. None of us have had that put to the test, yet, but I suppose we’ll find out one day. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll have Ness. Go have fun with the others, show Felicity a good time.” Felicity’s face color shifts towards pink, and I hold back a chuckle. I remember when Bella used to blush all the damn time. 

“Okay, bye guys!” Seth turns away from us and Felicity follows, sending a wave over her shoulder. 

I pop the hood and throw off my shirt, eager to get to work. 

“Oooooo!” Nessie cheers as I throw my shirt into the corner. 

I scoff at her but flex my pecs, playing along. 

“You’re just so  _ hot _ , Jacob Black,” She says mockingly, popping her foot into the air. 

I smirk at her. “Don’t you forget it.” I hear her heart flutter and I grin. Knowing I heard, Nessie rolls her eyes. 

She flips on the radio and sings softly as I work. After a few minutes, she turns the radio down so we can talk. “How do you think it’s going with them?”

“It’s only been a day.” 

“I know, but based on the few hours they’ve had together, how would you say it’s going?”

I shrug. “I can’t see into her head. If we want an accurate answer, we need your father.” I’m half mocking, half serious

“Jaaaaakkkeeee.” She’s exasperated, so I give in. 

“I guess it’s going well? It’s just a completely different situation from what I’ve experienced. You and I kinda always knew where we were heading, and I was allowed to be completely honest with you all the time. Felicity and Seth still have a lot of hurdles to jump through. She’s got the boyfriend, and she’s not aware of the wolf-thing, or the vampire thing, or the  _ you _ thing. Some people don’t take to that well. I hope she doesn’t feel lied to by the time he finally does tell her. And can he tell her about the shapeshifting without outing you and your family? I just don’t know.”

She huffs. “Yes, but  _ ignoring  _ all of that.”

I think for a moment. “Seth is enamored with her, I can tell you that for certain. And he’s happy, right now. Sure, he would like to be with her romantically at some point, but any time with her will be amazing. When he’s with her in any capacity, he feels complete. I don’t know about Felicity, you know her better than I do.” At Nessie’s frustrated look, I continue. “But, I’m pretty sure she’s already at least semi-attached to Seth. They’ll both feel the loss when you guys head back tomorrow. Just like us.” At this, I turn my attention back to fixing up the car. Sensing my sadness, Nessie comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my torso. 

“It’s only for a few days at a time. Maybe next weekend, instead of me coming down here, you can drive up to school and spend the weekend with me. We could do college-y things.” 

I grin, but am still sad. 

Nessie pulls herself up to kiss the side of my neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

Still not satisfied with the state of my mood, Nessie turns me around to face her. “I really,  _ really _ love you.” She stands on her toes to kiss my lips. Her arms wrap around my neck and mine go to her waist. She moves to deepen the kiss, and I decide it’s time for me to take a little initiative. Reaching around her, I slam the hood of the car down, pick her up, and place her on the now-closed hood of the car. She gasps excitedly and the sound sends shivers down my spine. I crawl up a little so I’m hovering over her and resume kissing her. Her breathing picks up and I take the hint. I pull myself off of her-such a difficult task-just long enough to locate the remote that closes the garage door. As it closes, I slide back up to her head and pick up where I left off. 

I didn’t get much more work done on the car. 

**Felicity’s POV**

“Okay, Sam said everyone would be at his and Emily’s house,” Seth explains as we walk up to one of the houses on the Reservation. 

“Alright.” For some reason, my heart picks up and my breath catches in my throat. “Wait, wait.” 

Seth stops in his tracks and looks at me with concern. “What’s wrong?”

My mouth feels dry. “How many people are in there? Is there anything I need to know about them before we go?” For reasons I can’t explain, it is very important to me that his friends like me. 

Seth thinks for a moment, which I appreciate. I’d rather have a truthful answer than a reassuring one. “Sam, Emily, Quil, Claire, Paul, Rachel, Embry, and Colin, so eight people. Emily has a scar on her face and arm, but she doesn’t like to talk about it, so it’s best not to ask. I can tell you about it later, though. They’re going to absolutely love you.” The intensity in his stare makes me believe him. “If you don’t want to do this, that’s perfectly fine! We can go to the beach and walk around or we can meet up with Nessie and Jake. It’s completely up to you.”

A warm feeling floods my heart. Seth and I have been friends for not even 24 hours and he’s already being the most considerate and kind friend I’ve ever had. Looking into his eyes once more to see the honesty there, I take a deep breath. “No, I want to meet your friends. I’m not sure why I freaked out. Let’s go.” 

He gives me a reassuring smile and opens the door. “Hey guys, come meet Felicity!”

Four giant men and two average-height women pile into the living room. A chorus of “Hey, Felicity!”, and “Nice to meet you!” fill the room. 

“Felicity, this is Quil, Claire, Paul, Rachel-that’s Jake’s older sister-, Embry, and Colin. Guys, this is Felicity Ferryn.”

“Wow, it’s awesome that Seth finally-” The one named Quil starts towards me excitedly, ready to envelop me in a hug, but his sentence is met with five pairs of eyes giving him wide looks and shaking their heads. Quil glances around in confusion before realizing that he’s not supposed to say whatever he was about to say. “-Finally made a friend. We were worried we were all he had.” We all chuckle, but I can tell they’re hiding something from me. I look at Seth who just shrugs, although there’s a wistful glint in his eye. I make a mental note-I wish I had my notepad-to ask him about it later. 

“Let’s go see Sam and Emily.” Seth steers me into the kitchen and I see two people, presumably Sam and Emily, who are a bit older than the rest of the people I’ve met so far. 

“Hello, Felicity.” As Emily comes to hug me, I see her scar. Ignoring it as Seth advised, I hug her back. 

“You have a lovely home.” 

She smiles. “Thank you. I was just making some cookies for the boys, would you like some?”

“Oh, no thank you. I’ve eaten two lunches already.”

Knowing laughter fills the room. “That’s what happens when you hang out with a Quileute boy. They devour  _ everything _ , and you can’t help but participate.” Claire, I think, laughs good-naturedly as Quil pokes her side then kisses her cheek. My heart warms at the sight. 

“Where are Jake and Nessie?” Embry asks.

“Working in his garage,” Seth says casually.

_ Aaaaah’s _ fill the room and some people wolf-whistle. 

“Gross, guys, that’s my baby brother!” Rachel scrunches her nose and makes a face. 

“What? You don’t want to think about him gettin it on in his dirty garage? Or you don’t want to think about him gettin it on at all?” Quil advances on Rachel as he eggs her on, seeming to do his best to make her uncomfortable. 

Colin swipes four cookies and jumps to the corner of the kitchen. 

Rachel’s displeasure shows. “Quil, stop, that’s disgusting.”

“Nuh-uh. It’s a natural part of life. Don’t you want your brother to be happy? Besides, it’s not like you and Paul don’t have your fun. You know, sometimes I can hear you all the way across the street when-”

“Back off, that’s enough.” Paul reaches around Rachel to shove Quil back to his side of the kitchen. Quil throws his hands up in mock-surrender as the rest of the room laughs. I can’t help the laugh that bubbles in my chest nor the mental ‘ _ go, Nessie!’  _ for having some fun with Jake. 

The ten of us talk and get to know each other for about two hours. I cave and have a cookie-it’s delicious. 3:25 rolls around too quickly for my liking, but Seth and I promised to meet Jake and Nessie, so I nudge his arm and remind him of the time. We exchange hugs with everyone- _ man, the guys are so dang  _ warm!-and head out of the house. It’s not very far to the beach, so Seth suggests we walk. 

“I really like your friends.”

He smiles proudly. “They really like you.”

I grin. “Good.” 

We’re at the beach in no time, and I can’t help but gasp. The grey of the water and the grey of the sky bounce off each other, creating the look of a grey moonstone. The beach’s sand is filled with tiny pink, yellow, blue, green, and orange stones and shells. “Woah.”

Seth grins. “Right? Let’s set up somewhere so you can read your book.” I pick a spot near the water, but not near enough that it hits us. Seth lays out a blanket he borrowed from Emily and Sam, which was smart of him. I lay on my stomach facing the water and open my book. Seth lays down beside me. He’s staring at me but trying to make it look like he’s staring at the water. I bite back a smile. The wind blows, and I do my best to suppress a shiver. Seth notices though, and reaches over my back to pull the blanket around me. I smile my thanks and return to my book. After a while, Seth asks a question. “Would you mind reading aloud?”

Curious as to why, but not against it, I oblige. “Not at all.” 

Seth closes his eyes as I read, every now and then opening them to adjust my blanket. 

Nessie and Jake arrive around 4:10 looking freshly showered. 

“Hey! Sorry we’re late,” Nessie begins. “We uh-had to deal with the...radiator of the...car, and-oh, screw it. We smashed.” Nessie and Jake high-five. 

“ _ Smashed _ ?” I laugh. “I’ve never heard it called that.”

“Really? Well do you get it? You know, the-”

“Oh, please don’t feel the need to explain!” I interject quickly, “I get the visual.”

Nessie laughs impishly and spreads out a blanket of her own for her and Jake. The four of us are just beginning to talk when my cell phone rings.  _ Ryan _ . 

“I have to answer him,” I say apologetically.

I stand and begin to walk away to pick up the call, but Seth stops me. “Take this.” He wraps the blanket we had been laying on around my shoulders and gives me a little pat. I can’t help but giggle. Composing myself, I begin walking down the line of the water as I take Ryan’s call. 

“Hey.”

“How’s Forks?”

“Good, thanks for asking. I’ve actually made a lot of friends. Nessie and Jake know some really nice people.” 

“That’s good. Hey, I’m sorry for the way I talked to you last night. I was a little drunk and angry, and I took it out on you.”

“Yeah, it definitely wasn’t my favorite conversation we’ve ever had...thank you for the apology.” 

“You’re welcome.” I can hear the satisfaction in his voice. “So when are you coming back to school?”

“Nessie and I drive back tomorrow afternoon. She has an early class on Monday.”

“Got it. So I’ll meet you in your room around five?”

“Sure.”  _ Why am I more than a little reluctant to say yes? _

“Good. Love you.”

“Love you too…” I mumble as I hang up the phone. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Felicity’s POV**

Sunday morning goes by quickly. Esme makes cinnamon rolls that are to  _ die for _ , Jake and Seth come over, and we all just hang out and talk. It’s comfortable. Before long, it’s Sunday afternoon and Nessie and I are throwing our stuff in her car to head back to school. There’s a prolonged goodbye between Nessie and Jake, which I do my best to ignore so they can have their privacy. Seth shuffles up next to me. 

“Have a good week at school! It was nice getting to hang out.”

“It was,” I agree, surprised by how much I mean it. “I’ll uh, see you next time?” It comes out as more of a question. 

“Oh, definitely.” He smiles and I like the feeling of reassurance that flows through me. 

I give a little wave, hug Esme goodbye, and then head out to the car. 

The drive back is somber. Nessie is sad about leaving Jake, which I understand. What’s confusing to me is how uneasy I feel as we get farther and farther away from Forks. 

{...}

We get back to the dorm and Nessie goes straight to her room to catch up on some homework she didn’t do over the weekend. As I start to do the same, I get a text from Ryan and remember that I told him we would hang out. Pushing aside the annoyance I feel, I respond telling him I’m home now and he can come over. He enters my room without knocking, kisses me quickly, and then plops on the bed and opens his arms for me to join him, which I do. 

There’s not a whole lot to talk about, so I ask him about his weekend. 

“It was good,” he answers enthusiastically. “Thomas and I hit up a couple parties and got  _ wasted _ , so that was fun. I danced with this really hot girl-don’t worry though, I wasn’t going to take her home or anything,  _ obviously _ -”

I try to refrain from rolling my eyes.  _ Seriously? _

“-did a little bit of homework yesterday and then signed up for an intramural soccer team. So yeah, fun weekend. Yours?”

“Pretty much the same as I said on the phone. Nessie’s grandparents are so welcoming and kind, as is the rest of her family. Her teeny tiny aunt likes to hunt, which is a hilarious sight. I met some of Jake’s friends, who seem great. Basically everyone there is just incredibly welcoming. I really like it. Oh! Also, Grandma is going to Spain over Spring Break. I think I’ll house-sit for her.” 

At this, Ryan shifts so he can look at me incredulously. “You’re going to spend your  _ Spring Break  _ house-sitting for an old woman?”

Vexed, I sit up. “She’s my grandmother, Ryan.” 

“So what? You’re young and hot, Spring Break was practically made for you. I can’t believe you’re going to give it up to water your Grandma’s plants in a deadbeat town.” 

I stand up and take a few steps away from him. “It’s not a deadbeat town! There are national parks, and trails, and beaches, and  _ nice people _ ! I’d rather be around that than a bunch of drunk people making bad decisions.”

“No, what I’m hearing is that you’d rather do all that boring shit than spend time with me, your  _ boyfriend _ .”

“It’s not like you would pay attention to me anyway! You’d be so drunk off your ass you wouldn’t even notice if I was there or not.”

“Not true!” Now he’s standing too and we’re in a screaming match. 

“It  _ is _ ! Even when you’re sober you forget to introduce me to your friends. Remember that time we went bowling with those people and you  _ forgot  _ me? You weren’t drunk then! Imagine how bad it will be when that’s all you do for an entire week! I’ve told you so many times before that I  _ hate _ ” this comes out as more of a growl “the drinking. Some light stuff here and there is fine, but it seems like that’s all you do!”

“No. No!” He’s in my face now. “I joined an intramural soccer team, I told you that!”

“Wonderful!” I throw my hands in the air. “ _ Drinking buddies! _ ” 

He shakes his head and makes his way to the door. “You know, I was really excited to see you when you got back today. I wouldn’t have gotten my hopes up if I had known you would be coming home as a bitch.”

“That’s rude. You can’t belittle me and call me names every time I’m frustrated.” 

“I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t so sensitive. Call me when you grow up.” Ryan slams the door as he leaves. 

I take a pillow off my bed, press my face into it, and scream out my frustrations. It helped a little, but not enough, so I head to my closet and throw on my running clothes. I knock on Nessie’s door as I leave so she won’t worry when I’m gone. 

“I’m going for a jog.”

She pokes her head out of her room. “Everything okay? I heard the screaming.”

“We’ll see. He and I both need to calm down and then talk again. This just happens sometimes.”

For some reason, Nessie looks confused, but she lets me leave without any further questioning. I head out of the dorm and begin jogging along the paths of campus. I pass one of Ryan’s friends, who gives me a dirty look.  _ So he’s already been spreading the word. Great.  _ I roll my eyes at him and pick up the pace. 

{...}

By Tuesday, Ryan and I have made up, although his apology isn’t as sincere as I had hoped. On Wednesday I get a stomach ache, but I ignore it and hope it will go away. On Thursday though, I realize it will not be that easy when I struggle with getting out of bed. Around 9:30, Nessie knocks on my door. 

“Come in,” I groan. 

“Hey, Liss. Everything okay? Don’t forget that you have a class at eleven.” 

I almost smile at her trying to take care of me, but it just doesn’t happen. 

“I think I’m getting sick.”

Her brow furrows. “What are your symptoms?”

“Nothing specific...I just feel  _ wrong _ .”

“Ohhh.” A look of knowing crosses her face, but she doesn’t say much besides that. She sits next to me on the bed and plays with my hair. “I think you’ll feel better once you get up and have some breakfast. It’s sunny outside today...maybe a walk would perk you up. I have to leave soon for class but we’re both free around one? What about a walk then?”

I smile at her. “That sounds nice, thanks.”

“Sure.” She smiles and heads to the door. “Oh, by the way,” her voice is almost forcibly casual, “I invited Jake and Seth up this weekend. I hope you don’t mind, but they’ll have to stay here. Jake’ll sleep with me and Seth can take the couch.”

I feel a tug in my emotions, and I pause.  _ What if... _ A theory begins to take shape. 

“No problem, thanks for letting me know,” I say distractedly as I begin to think. 

As soon as Nessie is gone, I unlock my phone and click on the contact I added less than a week ago.  _ Seth Clearwater _ . I dial, and he picks up on the second ring. 

“Felicity? Hey!” He sounds nothing less than elated, and I purse my lips in confusion.  _ Surely it can’t be because I called… _ Nonetheless, I feel the weight in my heart lessen. 

“Hi, Seth. Uh...what’s up?” I clear my throat, hoping he can’t detect the fact that I have no real plan or excuse for calling him. 

“Nothing important. Jake sent me on a parts run, so I’m heading to Forks and maybe Port Angeles if they don’t have what I need in Forks.”

“How far away is Port Angeles?”

“Little over an hour, so nothing bad. How’s your day going so far?”

I chuckle guiltily. “It’s actually not going. I woke up about ten minutes ago.”

“You?  _ You? _ Miss ‘Scheduled and Regimented’ slept-in? I don’t know how to handle this. I think I need a minute.”

I laugh loudly. “Okay, okay, it’s one time!”

“Well sure, now it’s one time. But a couple of months down the road you’re sleeping till noon just like Nessie.”

“Oh Lord, please, no!” Now we’re both laughing. “ _ Anyways _ ,” our chuckles die down and I switch topics, “Nessie tells me you guys are coming for a visit this weekend.”

“Oh, yeah.” He suddenly sounds sheepish. “Sorry about that. I probably should have asked before I jumped-”

“No, no!” I interrupt him. “I’m happy you’re visiting! That’s not where I was going with this.” He makes a noise of what seems to be relief. “I was going to suggest that maybe we all go hiking? I know there are some trails around the school, and I thought maybe we could pack a picnic lunch and see a waterfall and follow a river...or something like that.” The plan begins to take shape in my head, and suddenly I am incredibly attached to this idyllic day in the woods with my best friends. 

“Yeah, I’d love to! That sounds like a great day. Nessie and Jake will be excited about it, too.”

“Definitely,” I grin. 

We fill the next hour with conversations about random things and tidbits of information about each other. Too soon, 10:30 rolls around and I have to get ready to attend my 11:00 class. I tell Seth that I have to go and I’m looking forward to seeing him this weekend. He says the same. When I hang up, my suspicions are confirmed. I feel lighter, happier, not at all sick and emotionally upset like I did before I talked to him. The answer is simple: Seth makes me happy. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Felicity’s POV**

Seth and Jake are supposed to arrive at school around 6:15 on Friday night. Nessie is practically jumping out of her skin in excitement, and I quietly admit to myself that I’m trying hard not to do the same. In order to be proactive, I invited Ryan to meet Seth and re-meet Jake, and he sits on the couch with arms crossed staring at the door. To occupy myself, I triple-check that the picnic basket is ready to go for the morning--we’re leaving at seven which means I won’t have time to assemble anything. I’ve packed strawberries, bananas, sandwich supplies, lemonade, blueberry and chocolate muffins, and cheese. It’s not the most organized, but it’s what my College Student Brain commanded. 

Seemingly out of nowhere, Nessie perks up and rushes to the door--I guess she’s heard something that indicates their arrival. Ryan notices it too, because he stands up and puts a possessive arm around my waist, pulling me tight against him. I grumble in annoyance but otherwise let it be. 

“Hey, hey!” Jake grins in greeting before wrapping his arms around Nessie in a tight hug. I sigh at how perfectly they seem to fit together. Nessie pulls him onto the loveseat which leaves room for Seth to duck through the door. 

“Hey, Felicity! You must be Ryan.” Seth offers his hand for a shake, which Ryan takes. Seth is the first to let go, and Ryan’s eyes tell me he sees that as a victory...I refrain from rolling mine. 

“Either of y’all need anything?” I turn towards the kitchenette, but the boys shake their heads. “Let’s sit, then.”

Ryan tries to pull me onto his lap, but I pull away and instead seat myself between him and Seth on the longer couch. His mouth tightens. “What should we do?”

Nessie’s eyes light up. “I want to play Never Have I Ever!”

Jake groans. “Every time.”

“Come on,” Nessie nudges him with her elbow. 

He grins. “Okay, okay. Everyone? Ten fingers up.” We comply. 

“Never have I ever fixed a car,” Nessie begins. Jake and Seth each put down a finger.

Now to Jake. “Never have I ever had curly hair.” An impish grin of his and a disgruntled noise of Nessie’s follows the statement and Nessie drops a finger. 

“Never have I ever been pulled over.” A smug smile crosses Seth’s face. “I’m an excellent driver.” 

Jake laughs. “No, you’re just lucky!” A chorus of laughter echoes in response as each of us puts a finger down. 

My turn. “Never have I ever played Monopoly.” A series of  _ what?! _ ’s and  _ how?! _ ’s follow, and I put my hands up in mock-surrender. “We just never bought it back home! Nobody I knew played it, except for Ryan, and that’s not exactly the best date night activity when a competitive player is involved.” 

Ryan scoffs. “You wouldn’t have the patience for it anyways, babe.” 

Everyone besides me puts down a finger and the game moves to Ryan. “Never have I ever shopped online.” He makes a grimace that is almost comical. Ryan hates the concept of online shopping. Nessie, Jake, and I all put down fingers. 

The game continues for a while, eventually taking the inevitable sexual route. I learn that Ryan has had two one-night stands, although he doesn’t specify when, Jake and Nessie have done it in the bathroom of a restaurant, and Seth is a virgin. Ryan ruthlessly teases him about this, but Jake and I are adamant about Ryan leaving Seth alone. 

“I think it’s admirable, waiting until you find the right person,” I defend, crossing my arms over my chest. 

“Yeah, just about as admirable as waiting two years on the grounds of being a prude,” Ryan shoots back. The words are barely out of his mouth before Jake, Nessie, and Seth come to my defense. 

“You leave her the hell alone, Ryan!” Nessie is the most vocal. “If she’s not ready, she’s not ready, and that’s the end of it! Every person involved in a sexual act must be  _ one hundred percent  _ consenting. Anything less isn’t okay.” 

Seeing he’s made a wrong move, Ryan tries to backtrack. “Come on, guys, it’s not like I’m trying to force her into anything. I just think it’s a natural part of a relationship and refusing to take that next step is kind of selfish.” 

At this, Seth begins to shake. 

“Let’s take a walk,” Jake exclaims. “Yeah, Ness? Seth? Lets give these guys some space to discuss.” 

“Nope, I think I’ll stay here.” Seth’s voice is tight and unlike I’ve ever heard it. His arms are crossed and he’s leaning around me to unflinchingly stare Ryan down.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” I agree, trying to diffuse the situation. I turn to Ryan. “Ryan, your thinking is completely wrong and incredibly problematic, but I’m not having this discussion with you again, at least not tonight. If you can be nice and  _ not  _ an asshole, you’re welcome to stay, but if you need to sleep off whatever this is, then I will see you tomorrow morning at seven.” 

The room is silent in the wake of my declaration, and I can guess as to why. I’ve never really stood up to Ryan like this before, especially not publically. 

Ryan’s teeth clench and unclench. Finally, “I’m going out.” 

Without looking at any of us, he gets up and stalks across the room. The door slams behind him. 

Everyone’s quiet until I hear a cackling laughter fill the room. With a jolt, I realize it’s me. “Ohhh, he’s an ass. Sorry about that! Where were we?” I force my voice to sound light and positive. 

“Uh, how ‘bout a movie,” Nessie suggests warily, obviously not buying my act.

“Great,” I agree, determined not to let my true feelings show.

We gather in Nessie’s room to use her TV and put on  _ Spider-man: Homecoming _ . Jake and Nessie cuddle on the bed, I sit on a beanbag chair in front of it, and Seth stretches out beside me. 

“Sorry Ryan was mean to you,” I whisper about ten minutes into the movie. 

He shrugs. “Don’t worry about it. Sorry he was rude to you.” His voice tightens. “He shouldn’t talk to you like that. He’s supposed to love and protect you, not make you feel bad and pressure you.” 

I turn my head to smile at him. “Sometimes he’s great...those moments are just fewer and farther between the more time we spend here.” I pause. “I liked him better back home.” 

Seth grumbles. “I’m not sure I like him at all. He...makes me nervous, with his angry behaviors.” Seth’s eyes meet mine, and I can see real concern in them. Concern for  _ me _ . 

I’m quick to reassure him. “Ryan’s never violent...he just has rude streaks.”

“Verbal abuse is real, too.” We both pause as we take that in. “If it ever gets bad, or you get worried, give me a call. I can be here insanely quickly.” 

I want to chuckle to lighten the mood, but I can see the sincerity and worry in his eyes and don’t want to belittle what he’s just offered me. “Thank you.” I mean it. 

We watch the rest of the movie in silence, and the events of the evening begin to take their toll on me. Around the part where Peter and his friends arrive in D.C., my eyelids grow heavy. Without me truly realizing it, my head slips onto Seth’s shoulder. I vaguely register a blanket being tucked around me before I sink into sleep. 

{...}

I wake up tucked into my bed, still in my clothes but missing my shoes. The early morning sun stretches its beams through my open curtains and I know the time must be near seven o’clock. I hop in the shower and wash as quickly as I can and then get dressed in an outfit suitable for hiking. I meet Seth, Jake, and Nessie, who are all dressed and ready to go, in the living room. 

“I distributed the food between all of our backpacks,” Nessie says upon my arrival. “I thought that would be more practical than carrying a separate basket.”

“Good idea!” 

“Umm, it’s 6:58...should we head out, or are we waiting for…?” Her voice trails off. 

“Let’s go now. He knows we’re leaving at seven exactly. If he had wanted to be here, he would be.” 

She nods and the four of us don our backpacks and head out the door. We’ve made it halfway down the second flight of stairs when I hear another set of footsteps following quickly. Jake groans. 

“Liss!” Ryan jumps the last two steps to meet us on the landing. “I’m sorry about last night. You’re right, we won’t have sex until both of us are ready.”

For some reason, the thought of being intimate with him doesn’t quite sit right with me. Ignoring that, I smile and take his hand. 

**Nessie’s POV**

_ Ryan and Felicity holding hands. Rolling eyes. Ryan. Vomiting. Seth and Felicity looking at each other smiling. Happy dance.  _

Jake laughs lightly as I pull my hand away from his face. “Give it time.”

I place my hand on his cheek again.  _ Seth shaking. A giant wolf. A sketchy explanation. _

“Yeah,” Jake nods. “Could have been bad. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.”

The sounds of the forest echo around us, and the deeper we get, the more my senses are awakened. The smell of a mountain lion hits my nose, and my grip on Jake’s hand tightens. It’s been so long since I’ve hunted. For weeks, I’ve been living off so-so human food. A mountain lion would be a real treat. 

Jake grins at me. “Nessie and I are gonna take a little detour from the trail. Meet up here in about two hours?” He points to a spot on the map. Venom begins to flow in my mouth as my excitement rises.  _ Here we go.  _

Seth can smell it too, and he deftly disguises a grin. “Have fun you guys. See you soon!”

Jake and I separate from the group at a human pace. Once we’re out of Felicity’s and Ryan’s sight and hearing range, we take off. It takes Jake a minute to de-clothe, store them, and phase, so I have a bit of a head start. I run towards the smell of the mountain lion, avoiding trees, limbs, and bushes with ease. I hear the pounding of paws behind me and Jake hurries to run alongside my right. He tries to nudge me off track, and I throw my head back and laugh as I pull just out of his reach. As we get closer to the mountain lion, I jump into the trees so it can’t smell me coming. Jake, content to let me take the kill, falls back so he won’t scare it away. As much as I want to wrestle with it, I can’t let the others think something other than hiking has been taking place, so my attack is swift and clean. I lunge onto the lion and snap its neck in the span of a second. It never knew what was coming for it. 

**Seth’s POV**

Felicity and Ryan hold hands, walking a foot or two ahead of me. They talk about Ryan’s frat and the possibility of Felicity going to a party next weekend. My stomach clenches at that thought. Felicity in an unfamiliar place where most people are drunk and/or high, Ryan inevitably abandoning her...a shudder runs through me as I think of all the bad that could come from that situation. It’s not that I don’t want her to go, it’s just that I would feel a hell of a lot better if I was there to look out for her. 

Suddenly, my feeling of unease turns into outright panic and I become hyper aware of my surroundings. Without realizing why, I lurch forward and wrap my arms around Felicity. She screams as the ground she had been walking on suddenly falls away and lands several hundreds of feet below. Ryan yelps and jumps back. 

“It’s okay,” I do my best to soothe Felicity, her fear palpable. “I’ve got you.” She clings to me, and I carefully pull her up and place her feet back on solid ground. Eyes wide and tearful, she doesn’t let go, so I wrap her in a hug. Slowly, her heart rate begins to slow. I breathe a sigh of relief.  _ She’s okay _ . 

“Seth,” she gasps, still a little shocked. “How did you-?” She looks at me expectantly, waiting for an explanation. I scramble to come up with something believable, because I  _ don’t have one _ . It was as if some force other than myself acted of its own accord to protect Felicity.  _ Probably something to do with the imprinting _ , I realize. 

“I uh, saw the cliff on the map and realized where we were.” 

She nods, accepting my explanation. Ryan clears his throat, but I ignore him.  _ I’m not ending this hug until Felicity wants it to end.  _ She buries her head in my chest and takes a few more deep breaths. I tighten my arms around her and rub a hand up and down her back, hoping to help calm her down. I can’t describe how amazing it is just to hold her. 

“Thank you,” she breathes, looking up into my eyes. 

I gulp, not wanting to freak her out with a declaration of how I would literally  _ always _ be there to save her. So instead, I smile and say “of course.” 

She lets go of me then and turns back to face Ryan. “Let’s get back to walking. We don’t want to be late and make Nessie and Jake worry.” 

The rest of the hike takes about half an hour, but this time, I don’t leave Felicity’s side. I could tell it gets on Ryan’s nerves, but I literally could not care less. Doesn’t he know that Felicity is my world now, and I would never be stupid enough to leave her safety up to him again? 

By the time everything is set up to eat, it’s one, and I am  _ beyond _ starving. The picnic is nice. We set up by a waterfall, just as Felicity had requested. It makes my heart happy to see the light in her eyes when she sees the waterfall. After we’ve eaten, Felicity gets a mischievous look on her face. Nessie notices as well and grins. 

“What are you up to?” 

Felicity returns the grin and begins taking off her shoes. “I am going to go check out that waterfall. Care to join me?”

Nessie scoffs. “Please, you’ll love it for two minutes and then realize how cold you are and be running right out.”

Felicity’s mouth opens in mock offense. “I will not.”

Nessie smirks. “I bet you can’t spend three minutes under that waterfall.”

Felicity straightens. “And if I can?”

Pursing her lips, Nessie thinks for a moment. “I will give you three free passes to use my car. _When_ you lose, however,” Felicity rolls her eyes, “you will give me that dress of yours that I’ve been admiring.” 

Felicity’s eyes gleam. “You’re on.” 

We all walk to the edge of the water to watch the coming spectacle. 

“Okay, three, two, one, go!” At Nessie’s command, Felicity runs under the waterfall, shrieking when the cold water hits her. 

“Ready to give up,” Nessie questions with a chuckle. 

“I could-could do this all day,” Felicity shouts back, spluttering as the cascading water fills her mouth.

I know this is just a game, but I can’t help the concern that comes over me. I fight the urge to run into the water and pull Liss to the safety of land. Jake must notice this, because he comes over and pats me reassuringly on the shoulder. His voice is quiet when he speaks, but I can hear him just fine. “It will get easier with time. Your instincts will begin to realize when she’s in actual danger and when it’s just play, and then you can enjoy yourself a lot more.” I nod, knowing I should listen to him but am unable to take my eyes off Felicity’s shaking form. 

“One minute left!” 

I can hear Felicity’s teeth chattering from here. “Come on, Liss, you’ve got this!” I don’t know where the desire to encourage her comes from, but it pops up and suddenly I’m shouting from the edge of the water. “Picture the car, Liss, the car!”

She laughs heartily. “I want it,” she shouts back. 

“Then believe!” We’re both laughing now, calling back and forth to each other. Nessie begins to countdown from 10, and I shout more encouragements to Felicity. As soon as Nessie gets to zero, Felicity sprints out of the water and meets us at the shore, jumping up and down in an effort to warm up. I offer her the blanket we used for the picnic, and she accepts gratefully. 

“Nice,” I compliment enthusiastically. 

“Why thank you! Nessie, I humbly accept your defeat.”

Nessie grumbles and leans into a laughing Jake. Felicity jogs over to where Ryan is standing a few yards away from us all and tries to hug him. When he pushes her away and I see the embarrassment on her face, my heart sinks. 

“Gross, Felicity, no way. You’re all wet and this is Patagonia.” 

Eyes cast downward and shaking from the cold despite the blanket, Felicity walks back over to the three of us. 

“Hey Liss,” I offer softly, bending down a little to better meet her eyes. “I’m warm. Remember?”

She grins and falls easily into my open arms. I see Ryan give me a strangled look, but I ignore him, choosing instead to focus how wonderful it feels to have Felicity in my arms for the second time that day. 

“We should head back,” Jake says, his authoritative tone naturally coming forth. “It’ll take us a bit to get back, and I don’t want us risking getting caught in the dark.” 

Nessie scoffs, obviously wanting to push Jake a little. “It’s barely three.” 

Jake shoots her a suggestive grins. “Yeah well, perhaps I have ulterior motives for getting you home so quickly.” 

Nessie swallows, and Felicity scrunches up her nose. 

“All right everyone, pack it up! Pack it up! Time. To.  _ Go _ !” Nessie shoos us all along. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Jake grins at Nessie’s evident excitement. 

Reluctantly, I pull back from Felicity so we can begin our hike back to the cars. She groans, presumably at the loss of heat, and I consider something. Deciding the pros outweigh the con (a pissed off Ryan), I crouch and offer Felicity a piggy back ride. She laughs and gratefully accepts, hopping on my back and wrapping her legs and arms tightly around me. Ryan just rolls his eyes at us and stalks ahead. 

“Dang, Seth, I forgot just how  _ tall _ you are,” Felicity chuckles. “I feel like I can see everything from up here!” 

I laugh, happy that she’s excited. “Just watch out for any low-hanging branches,” I advise, half joking, half serious. 

“Roger that, Captain,” she mock salutes, causing us both to chuckle. I begin actually walking, and her arms tighten around my chest. After a few minutes, she leans down to speak softly in my ear, her breath tickling my skin. “Seth? I’m really happy that I met you.” 

_ Oh Felicity, _ I think, _ you have  _ no idea. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Felicity’s POV**

The next six weeks pass in easy routine. School gets harder and the workload becomes more demanding. Still, Nessie and I have worked out a relatively good balance. There have only been a few all-nighters on my end, but she’s had none. Lucky. I like my classes and I’m making some friends in them. Every weekend, Seth and Jake either visit or Nessie drives down to meet them. I’ve gone with her twice, but the other times I’ve had to stay at school to study or spend time with Ryan. Even though we don’t see each other that often, Seth has quickly become my very best friend. He and I get along in a way that even Nessie and I don’t, and especially not in a way that Ryan and I do. Every time we see each other, Seth just has the biggest smile on his face and it makes me feel so warm and secure inside. It honestly scares me how good I feel around him. What’s even scarier is how terrible I feel when I haven’t seen him in a while. My stomach hurts, I feel anxious, I get headaches, and I become overly tired. It’s...unnatural. 

“Felicity?” Nessie knocks on my door before opening it. “I’m heading out. Are you  _ sure _ you don’t want to come? I know everyone would be really happy to see you…” Her voice trails off and what goes unspoken is practically shouted across the room.  _ Seth would love to see you...and you would love to see him.  _

I sigh. “I honestly wish I could, but I’ve got a huge test on Monday and I promised Ryan I would go out with him tonight. Send everyone my love though?”

Nessie nods, looking a bit disappointed. “Sure, sure. Be careful going out, okay? I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”

I grin. “Thanks, Mom.” 

Nessie rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at me, effectively canceling out her previous mature behavior. With one final smile, she closes my door. A few seconds later, I hear the front door shut and know that she’s gone. I let out a breath and try to focus on my reading. I hear a ringing in my ears as the silence surrounds me. When I can’t take it any longer, I play some soft classical music from my computer, hoping it will help me focus. It does, and before I know it, there’s a loud pounding at my front door. Glancing at the clock in surprise, I see that it’s now 8:00. I rush to open the door, knowing who will be there and what kind of mood he’ll be in. 

“Finally!” Ryan waltzes into the living room as soon as I open the door. He grins lazily and shoots me a, “Hey, babe,” before grabbing me and pulling me into a kiss. I kiss him back like I always do, but end it before he can deepen it too much. I’m just not really in the mood. He rolls his eyes when I pull away, smacks me on the ass and plops onto the couch. I squint at him. 

“Ryan, how much have you had to drink? The party hasn’t even started.” 

He looks at me like I’m stupid. “Pregame, babe. You should really drink some before we go, too. It’ll make the party more fun and keep you from getting too wasted.” I consider this. In Ryan’s own way, this is him showing concern for me. 

“Well...if you think so.” 

He grins. “Be right back. Get dressed while I’m gone.”

I do as he says, hoping the act of getting dressed will give me time to quell the reservations I have with the drinking. I’ve never had more than a sip of alcohol at family events and such. I don’t really know how I react to it in large amounts.  _ But Ryan would look out for me...right?  _ Shaking off what I can of my fears, I slip into the plum colored dress I picked out for tonight. It’s short, ending just below my bum, and low cut with thin straps being the only thing holding it on me. I look good, but I don’t really  _ feel _ good. I know that all this dress will do is make Ryan handsy.  _ Ugh _ . Just as I’ve nearly convinced myself to change into something else, Ryan is back with a knock on the front door. When I let him in, he’s got a six pack of beer. I look at it warily.  _ How much of that is too much? _

Ryan opens one for me and one for himself. “Bottoms up, babe.” He winks, an act that at one point in my life would make me weak in the knees, and takes a long gulp. 

I put the can to my lips, nose wrinkling at the sharp smell.  _ Well. Here we go.  _ I tilt the can up and take a gulp like I had seen Ryan do. It stings--real bad. I cough and cough and Ryan doubles over in laughter, reaching over to pat me on the back. 

“You’ll get it, babe. Keep drinking--you don’t want to be  _ that _ girl at the party.” 

I dread taking the next sip, but I do anyway, agreeing that I don’t want to be coughing like this in front of seasoned drinkers. Before I know it, most of the can is gone. By now, the drink is much easier to swallow and my head has a light, fuzzy feeling to it. Ryan turns on the TV to watch some Netflix while I skip into the bedroom to do my makeup, taking a second can with me. After a good 15 minutes of struggling to do my eyeliner-it keeps slipping onto my cheek!-I get a phone call from Nessie. 

“Hello?” I answer in a sing-song. 

“Uh, hey there, Liss. How’s it going?” 

I sigh, feeling light and happy. “ _ Wonderful! _ ” 

“That’s good...what’s going on there?” For some reason, she sounds wary and unsure. 

I can’t spend too much time focusing on that. Opening my second drink, I down the first few sips, gasping a little at the sting. Setting the can down with a  _ clink _ , I try to focus on Nessie and her question. 

“ _ Ryan _ showed me how to  _ pregame _ . It’s  _ awesome _ . Nessie!” I gasp, suddenly just  _ needing  _ to tell her this. “I am  _ so good _ at makeup! I made my eyeliner do the thing! The thing where it goes up!” 

Nessie chuckles nervously. “You mean a wing? Yeah, good job, Liss, you’re always pretty good at that.”

I hear Nessie struggling on the other end with something. It sounds like she’s slapping a hand away. I place my phone on my dresser and choose to focus on applying my lipstick instead. 

“Hey, Liss, you there?” 

I furrow my eyebrows and stare at my phone in confusion.  _ That doesn’t sound like Nessie... _ recognition rushes to me and I hastily pick the phone back up and press it to my ear. “Seth! Oh my God,  _ hi _ .” 

He chuckles good-naturedly. “Hi.” 

I sigh. “I love your laugh. It’s one of the  _ best  _ sounds in the world!”

I can practically hear the smile in Seth’s voice when he responds. “Thank you! Hey, I’m just curious--what’s your plan for tonight?”

I purse my lips. “Well, Ryan and I are going to the party his frat is hosting, so that should be fuuun.” I draw out the word while I think of what’s next. “And then after that, I guess I’ll go to bed and then wake up tomorrow and study.” 

His voice is tense when he responds. “Sounds fun. Just uh-” he clears his throat “promise me that you’ll be careful tonight, yeah?”

I furrow my eyebrows, not able to reconcile his stressed tone with his usually sunny attitude. “I’m always careful.” 

“I know, just-” he sighs, seeming agitated “be  _ extra  _ careful tonight.” 

I want to press and ask why, but my attention span is already running out. “Okay, Seth. Anything for you.” I smile, hoping he can tell. 

Still, his voice is tight when he responds. “Thanks, Liss.” 

“Felicity, time to go!” Ryan’s voice is slurred, and for some reason, I find that ridiculously funny. 

“Okay, Seth gotta go! Bye!” 

“Wait-” but I’ve already hung up the phone. 

**Seth’s POV**

Stress and worry fill my bones. I don’t realize I’m shaking until Nessie puts a hand on my shoulder. 

“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Seth. She’s smart and wouldn’t put herself in any danger.” 

“But she already  _ has _ ,” I lament, beginning to pace. “If she was drinking with you or Jake or me, I would feel completely fine, because I can trust all of us to make sure she’s safe. But Ryan,” his name comes out as a growl, and Jake looks at me in surprise from his place on the couch, “doesn’t really care about her. He’ll abandon her the first chance he gets. Or he’ll be mean or-”

“Seth, take a breath,” Jake advises, pulling Nessie back to him on the couch. I realize that the tremors are ripping through me, the stress threatening to cause me to phase. 

I do as he says, and after a few deep breaths, I still. “I’m sorry, guys.” 

Jake shakes his head. “Don’t be. I would be the exact same way if it were Nessie.” 

She huffs. “You know I can hold my liquor.” 

“Yeah,” Jake groans, burying his face in her neck. “Just  _ please _ don’t tell your parents that.”

We all chuckle, the mood effectively having been lightened. Still, I can’t get rid of the pit of worry in my stomach. Nessie can tell. 

“Tell you what,” she says, “I’ll call her every hour and let you know if it sounds like she’s not doing so great. If that happens, which I have a feeling it won’t, you can borrow my car and go check on her.” 

Jake shakes his head. “He should run. We’re faster than cars.” 

Nessie looks at him in disbelief. “You are  _ not _ !”

Jake grins. “We are when properly motivated.”

Nessie nods, a challenge in her eyes. “Alright, buddy, let’s go test this. Loser buys dinner.”

“You’re on!” 

Before following Nessie out the front door, Jake pauses to rest his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry Seth. She’ll be fine.” 

I do my best to smile at him. “Thanks.” 

When I’m alone in the room, I sigh, not sure what to do with myself. The stress leaves me restless, so I decide to run over to Quill’s house to see what he’s up to.  _ Nessie will call if something is wrong with Felicity _ , I remind myself. 

**Felicity’s POV**

I’ve been at the party for maybe an hour when I get a call from Nessie. 

“Ryan,” I shout over the thundering music. “I’m gonna answer Nessie real fast. Be right back!” 

He nods absently, enamored in one of his friends failing at a keg stand. 

I sigh and push through the crowds of people to get outside of the crowded basement. Once I exit the door leading to the backyard, I answer my phone. 

“Hey, Nessie, what’s up?”

I hear her chuckle. “Alcohol wearing off a bit?”

I groan. “Was I annoying?”

She hums. “Nah, just more high-pitched than usual.”

I laugh. “My apologies. Yeah, I had one and a half before getting here, and that was enough. I still feel a little buzzed, but nothing like when it first got into my system.”

“That’s good! I just wanted to check in and see how things are going. Having fun?”

I mull it over.  _ Am I having fun? _ “Kinda. The alcohol helped a lot.” 

We chuckle, and then there's silence. 

“Uh-” I do my best to sound casual. “Is Seth...there?” I cringe, knowing I sound the furthest thing from casual. 

I can hear the grin in Nessie’s voice when she responds. “No, he’s at a friend’s house. But I can go get him.” 

I shake my head, forgetting that she can’t see me. “That’s alright. I should be getting back to Ryan anyway.”

She sighs. “Okay, well, enjoy that.” 

I consider defending Ryan but then decide against it. Right now, I can’t recall any of his redeeming qualities. “Bye, Ness.”

“Bye.”

We hang up, and I sigh, realizing that I don’t want to go back inside. I’m sure parties could be fun under the right circumstances...with the right people. An image of Seth laughing flashes in my mind. I groan.  _ Go away! Stop making me miss you. It’s confusing. _ The image doesn’t obey, and I huff, forcing myself to reenter the crowded basement. Spending some time outside gave me a break from the stench of alcohol, and now it makes me feel sick. It’s just so overwhelming. I find Ryan and do my best to have fun. He tries to get me to have some more to drink, but I refuse. It’s lost its novelty by now, and honestly, I’m ready to go home and get in bed. The music is too loud and hurts my head, and my mouth feels dry like I desperately need a gallon of water. 

“Hey,” I tug on Ryan’s arm, forcing him to look at me. “Could we go?”

He scrunches up his face. “No way! Babe, this is so fun!” He grabs my waist and tries to get me to dance with him, but I push him away. 

“Seriously, Ryan, I don’t feel good. Can we please leave?”

He glares at me for a moment, as if I’m the sole cause of all of his problems. “Fine.” 

I sigh. “Thank you.” 

He whispers something to one of his friends, who nods, and then Ryan and I exit the basement. The cool night air feels good on my skin, and I breathe it in thankfully. 

“I’m gonna drop you at your dorm and then come back. Don’t get mad when I dance with some hot girl though--it’s your fault for not being there.”

“Okay,” I sigh, just ready to get home. But a block down the road, what he said registers with me. I stop walking. “You know what, Ryan?” He looks at me in confusion, surprised by my challenging tone. “That’s not okay! Me not being with you should not make it okay for you to do things you wouldn’t do if I was there. That’s shady, and I don’t like it.”

He stares at me blankly, not sure how to react. Finally, he scoffs. “Tough luck, babe.” 

Properly angry now, I shake my head. “No. Not okay. I  _ hate _ how you’re always pushing me around. And I just let you,” I realize, growing quiet.  _ I  _ let  _ Ryan treat me badly. Do I really have so little respect for myself? _ Realization dawns on me, and I stare Ryan straight in the eyes, still shocked by my conclusion. “I don’t want to date you anymore, Ryan.” As soon as I say the words, I feel free. I feel light, like when I had the alcohol, but  _ better _ .  _ I don’t want to date him anymore _ . 

His eyebrows shoot up. “ _ What _ ?”

“Yeah,” I nod quickly, “you’re mean to me, you don’t truly respect my boundaries, you make me nervous, you don’t respect me, and honestly, we don’t have much in common. We’re just together by habit at this point. We’d both be better off if we end it now rather than dragging it out for another two years.” 

He stares at me in disbelief. A long silence drags between us. I alternate between looking at him and looking at the ground, unable to hold his accusing stare. 

Finally, “Fine, bitch.” With that, Ryan turns around and walks back in the direction we came, going back to his precious party. 

I sigh, feeling liberated.  _ It’s done, I did it _ . “Wow,” I gasp aloud, unable to keep quiet now that I feel so much better. 

Then I pause, unsure of what to do next.  _ But don’t you know _ , a quiet voice in my head questions. I smile shyly, knowing exactly what to do now. 

I pull my phone out of my pocket and click on the contact. He picks up after one ring. 

“Are you okay?” His voice is worried. 

“Seth, hi,” I sigh, heart finally at ease. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Felicity’s POV**

“Seth, hi,” I sigh, heart finally at ease. 

“Are you okay?” His concern is immediate. 

I let out a breath, doing a bit of a self-evaluation. “I’m  _ better _ than okay, actually. I just broke things off with Ryan.”

A puff of air escapes Seth’s mouth. “For real?” I can tell that he’s happy to hear this news.  _ Good.  _

I chuckle softly. “Yeah. I finally realized that he’s not the kind of person I need to be with. He’s a little mad but I assume he’ll be over it by the end of the night. There just wasn’t anything there at this point. Anyway, do you want to come over? I know it’s a bit of a drive-”

“Yeah, I’d love to!” 

The grin that spreads over my face is unreal. “Well, great! I’d love to see you. What do you want for snacks and such?”

“I can get it all. Don’t you still have a bit of alcohol in your system?”

I chuckle. “Silly Seth, this is a college campus! Anything and everything can be delivered to my door for a small fee.”

I can hear the grin in his voice when he responds. “Ice cream, then. Cookies and cream, please.”

“Ice cream it is! And uh,” I clear my throat, doing my best to keep the following sentence from sounding suggestive. “It’ll be pretty late when you get here, so you’re welcome to just stay the night.” 

He gasps comically. “Why Felicity Ferryn, are you inviting me for a sleepover?”

I giggle. “I guess I am. No bra-freezing though, since we don’t exactly have an equal playing field.” 

He chuckles. “I solemnly swear not to put your bra in the freezer if you’re the first to fall asleep.” 

“Very good. So I’ll see you in about three hours?”

He sounds mischievous when he responds. “I have a feeling I’ll make better time than that.” 

“No speeding! I need you here in one piece.” 

He chuckles again. “Yes, ma’am.”

I smile, enjoying the peaceful feeling I get when I talk to Seth. “See you in three hours.”

I can hear the grin in his voice. “See you in two.” 

I end the call and work very hard to squash the smile on my face. But it won’t budge. Never before have I felt so free and so  _ right _ . While I didn’t really want to hang up, I needed to get the dorm and myself ready before having Seth over. I begin with straightening up the common areas and my bedroom, making sure I do my best not to miss a single speck of dust. Then I hop in the shower, take off my party make-up (which has by now fallen halfway down my face), and change into a t-shirt and sweatpants. With about twenty minutes until Seth’s predicted arrival, I order the ice cream. Cookies and cream for him, cookie dough for me. Unable to stop myself from grinning in excitement, I wait.

**Seth’s POV**

Felicity hangs up and I put the phone back in my pocket, grinning wildly. Quil seems just as excited as I am. 

“Go get her, man! Enjoy your time together!”

“Thank you,” I shout over my shoulder as I run into the forest and phase. As I had hoped, Jake is still in his wolf form, which allows me to communicate with him without the cellphones. Jake quickly learns Felicity’s offer for a visit and celebrates with me. I ask if Nessie’s offer to use her car still stands since it’s faster than mine could ever hope to be. Jake relays the message, Nessie enthusiastically agrees, and we meet so I can get her keys and give her the keys to my car. I wait for them in human form. A few minutes later, Nessie jumps out of the car, bouncing in excitement, towing Jake behind her.

“Yay, yay, yay, yay,  _ yay! _ ” 

Even though my feelings toward the situation are nothing but shock and elation, I do my best to put myself in Felicity’s shoes. “Yeah, I’m happy, too. But still, she just broke up with Ryan so she might not be ready to jump into another relationship.”

Nessie pouts, and I grin. “It’s honestly alright. I’m just so happy that we get to hang out. I’ll meet her wherever she is emotionally. I’ll be whatever, whoever she needs me to be.”

Jake directs a soft smile towards Nessie and wraps an arm around her. 

“Jake and I packed a weekend bag for you, just in case you end up staying.”

“Oh, thanks, guys! I didn’t even think of that.”

Jake scoffs. “Yeah, we know.” He gives me a playful clap on the shoulder. “Seriously though. Have a good time.” 

I nod, smiling back. “Thank you both, honestly.” 

Without another word, I get in the car and race to Felicity. 

**Felicity’s POV**

The knock on my door has me practically running to open it. True to his word, Seth had made the trip in two hours.

I fling open the door and the second I see him, I can’t help but let out a contented sigh. Being with him makes everything  _ right _ . I feel complete. I can tell by his smile and body language that he feels the same. We stand like that for a few minutes, just smiling at each other. Finally, I remember how to speak. “Hi.”

“Hey,” he breathes. 

“Uh, come on in. I’ve got our ice cream in the freezer, random snacks scattered through the kitchen, and pizza on the way.”

His grin never falters. “Sounds great. Thanks for setting all this up.” 

My face heats up. “Thank you for coming.” 

He looks at me, suddenly intense. “I always will.” 

Unable to stop myself, I catapult forward and wrap my arms around him in a tight hug. He immediately responds, holding me to him with a force that should be crushing, but really just feels nice. 

“I missed you a lot, you know.” 

He gives a humorless laugh, one of the first ones I’ve heard from him. “Tell me about it.” 

Face still buried in his chest, I sigh. “Why is it so hard? I mean, it shouldn’t be this hard, right? It’s not  _ normal. _ ” At this, I pull back slightly to look up at him. 

He shrugs slowly. “We just...connect, I guess. I feel it too.” There’s something behind his eyes though, and I get the feeling that he has more to say. For whatever reason though, he’s chosen not to share, so I’ll respect his privacy. 

I sigh, burying my face in his chest again. He smells lovely. “Well, whatever it is, I’m so glad you’re here.”

His arms tighten around me and he lays his head on mine. “Please believe me when I say that there is literally nowhere I’d rather be.” 

Even though it’s corny, I can’t deny the conviction in his voice nor stop the smile that spreads across my face. 

There’s a knock on the door and I reluctantly let go of Seth to open it. Seth beats me to it though and pays for the pizza, bringing it into the living room area so we can share. 

“Hey, thanks! Do you want pizza or ice cream first?”

He makes a jokingly incredulous face. “Why not both at the same time?”

“Ah, a man after my own heart.” I poke his side on my way to the kitchen and retrieve the ice cream and spoons.

We settle facing each other on the couch and decide to talk rather than turn on a movie. I tell him pretty much everything about my life that we haven’t already covered, and he does the same for me. There are parts of his stories though where he seems to falter over a detail or hesitate before sharing. I decide not to push though. Maybe Seth takes a bit longer to open up than I do. Still, I learn all about his childhood, the death of his father, how he became friends with the guys he now calls his brothers. He learns all about growing up in Georgia, my hopes for the future, how lucky I feel to have met Nessie, her family, his family, and him.

Before I know it, it’s three am and I’m failing at stifling yawns. 

Seth chuckles softly. “Bedtime?”

I playfully roll my eyes. “How’d you know?” I stand up, stretch a little, then realize Seth and I haven’t addressed the sleeping arrangements. All I know is that I’m not ready to let him go quite yet. I decide to try to take a casual approach. As I begin to pick up the mess we made, I do my best to speak nonchalantly. “So do you want to sleep out here on the couch or in the bed with me?” I can’t help from staring at him surreptitiously, watching for his reaction. 

He freezes halfway through gathering the trash on his side of the couch. “I uh didn’t know the second one was an option?” 

I turn towards the kitchenette, needing to move while I continue this totally  _ not _ casual conversation. “Well, you know, it’s just you’re so tall and this couch is so short and my bed is so much more comfortable and I don’t move much in my sleep so there would be plenty of room for you and-” 

He puts a hand on the small of my back and I jump, not having heard him join me in the kitchenette. He gently pushes me out of the way so he can toss stuff in the trashcan, and I turn to face him. He’s smiling. “You make a very convincing case for the bed.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this. “Alright.” 

He grabs his bag and follows me into the bathroom to get ready for bed. The simple act of preparing for bed together feels incredibly domestic, and I can’t deny how much I love it. Ryan and I never did this.  _ Ohhh, Ryan... _ For a few hours, I forgot he even existed. Come to think of it, I forgot  _ everyone  _ existed. It was just me and Seth. And it was perfect. He looks at me through the mirror and smiles, and I realize that I’ve been staring at him while I detangle my hair. I gulp and look away. 

_ Alright, Felicity, time to unpack.  _ What _ is with all this being flustered? Seth is your best friend, you shouldn’t feel this giddy or nervous around him.  _ Then, it dawns on me.  _ But you always have. Because Seth has never been just your best friend. From the moment you met him, you’ve had romantic feelings for him.  _

A breath escapes me. 

Seth looks at me questioningly. 

I play with my fingers and lean against the doorframe, deciding if I should share with him or not. Despite everything that could go wrong, I want to. 

“Seth, can I be totally, ridiculously honest with you for a minute?”

He sits on the counter, with his height it’s basically like just sitting in a chair, and gives me his full, serious attention. “Of course.”

I take a few seconds to gather my courage.

“I broke up with my long-term boyfriend not six hours ago and I feel completely fine. Not just fine, but I feel  _ good _ . Part of that is because he’s an asshole and this needed to happen a long time ago, but another, bigger part of that...is you.” His face lights up. “I shouldn’t like you this much. We just met. I-I mean, it’s crazy, right?” He can tell I’m starting to freak out. He hurries to stand in front of me and gathers my hands in his.

“I don’t think it’s crazy.” I stare up at him in disbelief. “I feel the exact same way. And I know you just had a breakup so I’m not expecting you to be ready for anything. It’s fine if you are, it’s fine if you aren’t. Whatever you need, I’ll be. I’ll always be here, Felicity.” 

I soften, now feeling completely at peace. Using the grip I have on his hands, I pull him closer to me. He gets the message. 

He kisses me softly. I had forgotten what it was like to be kissed like this. Kissed in a way that shows connection rather than lust and the desire to claim. Sure, those kisses can be fun, but kisses like  _ this _ are to be treasured. Unable to help myself, I sigh into the kiss and bring my arms up to wrap around his neck in an attempt to pull him closer to me. He gives a slight push and my back touches the wall, holding me in place. I smile and gently kiss his bottom lip before pulling away and resting my forehead against his. 

“Uh,” I chuckle nervously. “We should do more of that sometime.” 

He throws his head back in beautiful laughter before burying his face in the crook of my neck. “Fine by me.” His breath tickles. 

“Alright,” I push us away from the wall. “I’ll let you get changed for bed. Room’s right across the hall.” 

He grins. “See you soon.” 

I smile back and make my way to my room, sliding under the blankets on my bed. Strangely, I’m not nervous. The thought of sharing a bed with Seth seems as natural as breathing. Heck,  _ everything _ with Seth seems as natural as breathing. 

Seth enters the room and gestures towards the light-switch. I nod and he turns it off before joining me in the bed. He extends an arm and I immediately cuddle into his side. 

“Hi,” he breathes. 

I giggle quietly. “Hey there.” 

“Goodnight, Felicity.”

I sigh contentedly. “Goodnight, Seth.” 

**Seth’s POV**

Sleep isn’t an option. For one, I’m used to being up this late for patrol and I haven’t had a chance to run off some energy, so I’m just not tired yet. But the main, most present reason, is Felicity’s body pressed against mine, her soft breathing rustling a tendril of her hair. Not wanting the tickle to bother her, I tuck the strand behind her head. 

It’s a strange, consuming thing to be holding your entire world in your arms. 

I listen for her heartbeat, enjoying the steady rhythm. It’s amazing to me that she sleeps so peacefully. All things considered, she really hasn’t known me long, yet she feels perfectly safe sleeping defenseless in my presence. A soft smile crosses my face and I make a silent vow then to  _ always _ protect her from harm. If she’s willing to put her faith in me like this, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. 

The intensity of my feelings surprises me, though I suppose it shouldn’t. After all, I’ve spent years hearing the thoughts of Jake and Quill and Paul and all the other ones who imprinted. But hearing thoughts and seeing through the lens of someone else is  _ nothing _ compared to experiencing it in person. 

I stroke her back, enjoying the subconscious sigh that escapes her. 

I know the future will bring challenges. For one, she’s yet to find out what  _ I  _ am, let alone Nessie and the Cullens. And, now that I know what it’s like to experience her complete attention, I don’t see myself being hours away from her for days at a time. 

But all that can wait. For now, I focus on just enjoying the moment and Felicity’s heartbeat. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Felicity’s POV**

I stir slightly, enjoying the all-encompassing warmth and not quite ready to give it up. Opening my eyes and turning my head up to see him better, I take in the view of Seth, still asleep. A hesitant smile spreads across my face without my permission. 

_ So much better than a dream _ , I gush internally. 

He looks so peaceful and unguarded like this. Unable to stop myself, I reach up and lightly run my fingers over his eyelid, down his cheek, and come to rest on his jaw. Still asleep, a small, infectious smile captures his lips. My breath momentarily leaves me.  _ He’s so beautiful _ . 

Reluctant to leave him but even more reluctant to greet him with morning breath, I carefully disentangle myself from his arms. He doesn’t budge, and I chuckle quietly to myself. _Not a light sleeper, then._ I brush my teeth, freshen up for the day, and work my hair into a loose braid. A peek into my bedroom shows Seth still asleep. I still have a lot of schoolwork to get done before Monday, but I also _really_ don’t want to leave Seth when we have such limited time together. Settling on a compromise, I grab one of my printed readings, a highlighter, and pen and settle on my side of the bed ( _wow, I have a_ _side now_ ) to work while he sleeps. 

An hour later my stomach growls but, not wanting to start breakfast without Seth, I quiet it with a cup of coffee. The accidental slam of a cabinet doesn’t wake him, and I marvel. I myself am such a light sleeper, but I’m starting to get the feeling that Seth could sleep through anything.  _ Opposites attract _ , I muse.  _ And  _ boy,  _ does he attract.  _ As I climb back into bed, I try to steer myself away from ogling him and settle for the much more respectable act of appreciation. But it’s hard to find a balance between the two. Because I was in a relationship before, I never really allowed myself to fully appreciate Seth’s attractiveness. But now I can. Clad in an old grey t-shirt and red checkered pajama pants, he’s devastatingly gorgeous. 

He groans softly, reaching out for my waist. I suck in a breath. His lips stretch in a slow smile as his fingers lightly drum on my back. 

“Good morning.” 

I press my lips together, the efforts to conceal my smile futile. “Good morning.” The next, horrifyingly honest words leave my mouth before I can stop them. “I like being with you like this.” 

My heart stops.  _ Oh Felicity, shut  _ up. 

But thankfully, miraculously, his smile widens as he sighs. Slowly, he moves his hand from my waist to the skin over my heart, which now flutters erratically. He turns his deep eyes on me, the devotion in them evident. “I would be quite content to stay here forever.” 

Putting my homework aside, I sink down into the mattress so I can burrow into his chest. His arms lock securely around me and I’ve never felt more protected and treasured than I do right now. 

We stay like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. His hands dance over my back, straying every now and then to play with my hair. But eventually he tenses, regret in his voice. 

“I have to pee.” 

I throw my head back in laughter, contemplating very seriously whether or not I should let him get up. He sees the challenge in my eyes and grins mischievously. He kisses me then without warning and I immediately melt. He pushes gently, putting me on my back with him leaning slightly over me. And just as I’m about ready to surrender completely and do  _ this _ all day, he tickles up and down my sides. I shriek and kick, laughing wildly. 

“Seth,” I gasp through giggles. “ _ Why? _ ” 

He just joins me in my laughter, refusing to answer. Finally, he seems to think that I’ve had enough and kisses me quickly on the forehead before sauntering off to the bathroom. 

Laughter still bubbles from my lips as I push myself out of bed and head to the kitchen. From my few meal experiences with Seth, I know he eats a lot ( _ he’s gotta to maintain that physique) _ , so I get started on some loaded omelets. 

Suddenly, a pair of arms encircle me and I tense. 

Seth immediately lets go and takes a step back. “Sorry,” he sounds genuinely apologetic. “I didn’t think to ask if that would be okay.” 

I bite back a smile and reach behind me to take his arms and restore them to their previous position. “Everything you do is okay.”

He chuckles softly, nuzzling my neck. 

“I just didn’t hear you come up is all. How are you so  _ quiet _ ?”

He shrugs and I notice his arms tightening, almost like he’s suddenly on edge. A quick glance at his adoring face sets the record straight though. Maybe it was just a reflex. 

“Thank you for making breakfast.”

I chuckle, transferring his omelet to a plate. “Don’t thank me ‘till you try it. It’s been a while since I’ve made omelets. 

With a grin, he pops a piece of the steaming hot egg into his mouth. I gape. 

“Delicious.” He winks at me. 

I gulp as my heart stutters. 

“So what do you want to do today?” He takes his plate to the other side of the counter so he can sit and watch me cook. 

I grimace. “Well, I do still have a bunch of homework that needs to get done. The weather is supposed to be pretty good for early October, so a walk might be nice....but other than that I’ve got no idea. Is there anything you want to do?”

His trademark sunny smile lights up the room. “I’m game for anything. Jake mentioned a really good sandwich place?”

I grin in recognition. “Benny’s! Nessie loves it too. We could grab lunch or an early dinner there.” 

He nods, swallowing the last bite of his food. 

I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see Renesmee’s name flash across the screen. “Speak of the devil.” 

Seth grins and gently shoves me out of the way so he can take over making breakfast. “Scram.” 

I snort, having not heard that word in ages. But I obey, heading to my room for a little privacy. Nessie isn’t super good with boundaries, and I don’t want to scare Seth off with my answers to any of Nessie’s um, more  _ imaginative _ questions. 

“Tell. Me. Everything.”

“Ohhhh, Ness, it’s been a crazy 12 hours.” 

She snorts. “Uh, yeah! Totally spontaneous and  _ not _ like you! I love it.” 

I laugh, feeling the warmth in my chest. “It wouldn’t have worked with anyone else. I mean, who drives three hours at 10 pm just to hang out with some girl who is likely emotionally unstable because she just ended things with her long-term boyfriend?”

“Uh, someone who  _ looovvveeesss _ you,” she teases. 

I chuckle, though I must admit that my heart squeezes at the word. “It’s been a few hours, Ness, save the L-word for day five.” 

She laughs heartily and thankfully, moves on. “So what did you guys do last night?”

“Ate some pizza and ice cream and talked and then went to bed.” 

“Mhm, cute, cute. And who slept where?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? We obviously hosted an orgy in your bed.” 

I hear Seth, what sounds like choking, in the kitchen. 

I rush out of the room and find him red-faced and biting back a smile. 

“You okay?”

He clears his throat, evidently trying to regain control of the...choking? Laughing? Who knows. “Yep, sorry to interrupt.” He finally composes himself. “How’s Ness?” His voice is  _ too _ innocent, but I can’t put my finger on the incriminating factor, so I answer simply and then return to my room. 

“Okay but enough about me.” At this, Nessie scoffs, but I continue, eager to wrap up the conversation and return to Seth. That realization makes me feel a little bad, but also, I’ll see Nessie on Monday and have a whole five days in a row with her. My time with Seth is limited. “What have you and Jake been up to?”

I can hear the smile in her voice when she responds. “Just enjoyed being with each other. We hung out with Seth and the other guys last night a bit before  _ you _ broke that up.” I can almost see her sticking her tongue at me playfully, and I grin. She continues. “I spent last night at my family’s house. They’ve been asking about you! You should come visit next weekend.”

“Yeah, that would be nice! Let’s plan on it.” 

“Cool,” she sounds satisfied. 

“Hey, um, I better go. Seth is finishing up breakfast and I don’t want the food to get cold.” 

“Ah, alright, but we are going to talk about this weekend in  _ much  _ greater detail once I get back.” 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” 

She hangs up, and I hurry back to the kitchen, eager to be near Seth again. A part of me whispers that that’s stupid, but a larger, more present part of me shouts back that it doesn’t care. 

“For you,” Seth gracefully sets the heaped plate and fork before me. 

I smile appreciatively. “Why thank you.” 

He ruffles my hair affectionately and sits next to me to wait while I eat. 

{***}

The day passes in a comfortable, yet exhilarating, fashion. After breakfast, I grabbed my homework, and Seth and I headed to the library to get some things done. He used a computer there to work on his online classes while I did some readings and outlined a paper for my classes. When I started to fade from mental exhaustion, he got me an iced coffee, just how I had told him I liked it ages ago. It’s the little things like that that throw me off guard. I’ve never known someone to pay so much attention to me as Seth does. To be fair, I’m the same way with him, easily remembering minute details he’s shared over the past two months. I guess we’re just good for each other. 

We stay at the library until three in the afternoon and then head to Benny’s, which doesn’t disappoint. Jokingly, we take a selfie with our sandwiches and send it to Jake and Nessie, just to show them what they’re missing out on. With a jolt, I realize it’s the first picture we’ve taken together. I bite my lip as I try to conceal the smile. 

After we eat, we take a walk around campus. Seth gathers my hand in his in such a natural, familiar gesture. It seems only right then that I lean over to kiss his shoulder. I see him visibly brighten at just that simple act, and I make a mental note to do stuff like that more often. But then I remember that, just yesterday evening, I was making out with another guy. My pace slows as I reconcile with the sinking feeling in my stomach. Seth, of course, notices. 

“What’s wrong?”

I place my free hand over our entwined ones, sighing while I think. He stares at me, evidently struggling to be patient. I pull us over to a nearby bench so I can sit and face him. 

“We’re going really fast, don’t you think?”

The question seems to startle him. “ _ I  _ don’t think so, but I definitely don’t want to pull you out of your comfort zone.”

I grit my teeth, very much wishing that we didn’t need to have this conversation. I just wanted to run off into the sunset with Seth and for everything to be all happy and rainbows and butterflies. But that’s not real life. Real life is  _ not _ a fairy tale. So I continue. “I mean, I’m exactly in my comfort zone with you, but that’s the problem.”

His eyebrows furrow, confused. “I don’t understand.” 

My mouth opens and closes lamely while I try to find the right words. “What we’re doing looks  _ really _ bad--what  _ I’m _ doing,” I quickly amend. 

He cuts me off. “Liss, we’re in this together. Don’t try to take all the blame. And besides, who cares?”

I blink. 

“So what if the situation  _ looks _ bad?” He emphasizes his point. “How does it feel? How do  _ you _ feel?”

I stop breathing. “I feel right with you.” 

He dazzles me with a smile. “And I feel right with you. So let’s not stop. If you want to keep it lowkey or hidden in public, I’m on board, whatever you need. But  _ please _ ,” he stops to take a breath, centering himself. “Please don’t deprive us both of something we deeply want.” 

I close my eyes and dip my head to press it against our entwined hands. I hadn’t considered this. He’s right though. Why let people who don’t matter in our lives dictate that which  _ does _ matter? 

“You’re right.” I shake my head slightly, steadying myself. “You’re right.” 

He runs a comforting hand through my hair and I lean into the touch, feeling much better now. 

“Wanna go back to your dorm?” His voice is soft, like he’s trying not to scare me off. 

“Yeah.” I bring my head up to grin at him. “Let’s put in another Marvel movie.” 

He gives me a martyred look and appears to agree begrudgingly, but I can see the sparkle in his eyes. 

Hand and hand once again, we walk back to my dorm. 

**Seth’s POV**

“You wanna know something weird,” Felicity questions, head leaning against my chest. 

I nod, much more interested in her than this movie. 

“You know Nessie’s Uncle Jasper?” 

I nod again, wary this time.  _ Where could she be going with this?  _ “Yeah?”

“Well, my great grandmother kept extensively detailed records of our family history, and a couple of years ago my cousin and I came across a box of really old pictures of people we’re supposedly related to.” 

I tense, and then desperately try not to show it. But I think she’s noticed. Her finding out what’s up with the Cullens is only a step away from her finding out what’s up with me. 

Evidently choosing not to comment on my body’s response, she continues. “When I met Jasper, I couldn’t believe it because I kid you not, he is the  _ spitting image _ of a real person in my family history.” She pauses, and I can tell she’s gauging my reaction. “His name was Jasper Whitlock.” 

Felicity is not stupid or oblivious by any means. Likely, she’s been putting the fragmented puzzle pieces together for a while and is now testing the waters for more information to help shape her conclusions. Conclusions which, according to her rational, human brain, should be impossible. But the real question is how  _ much _ has she put together? It’s obvious just by looking at and being around the Cullens that there’s something unnatural about them. The paleness, the perfection, the grace, the cold. And it’s likely that, after two months of living with Renesmee, Felicity has picked up on some of her less human habits. Her speed that she doesn’t always control, her aversion to human food, how fast her mind works. How much, then, has she noticed about  _ me _ ?

But now isn’t the right time to tell her. I want her to have just a little bit longer, living in blissful ignorance of the monsters from fairy tales that have embedded themselves in her life. Besides, I hadn’t yet gotten permission from the pack. Before telling Felicity the truth, I have to have the pack’s go-ahead. It’s tradition. 

But as she looks at me with guarded, hesitating, and vaguely frightened eyes, tradition and protocol seem to matter much less. I bite my tongue to keep the truth from spilling out. 

“Well,” she prompts, obviously frustrated with my lack of engagement. “Isn’t that weird?”

I focus on making my voice sound natural. “Yeah. Yeah no that’s really weird. But, honestly Liss, it might just e getting mixed up in your memory. You said you found the picture a few years ago?” I hedge, hopefully not futilely, for a more plausible explanation. Anything more simple than the implication that’s staring me in the face. 

“Yeah,” she acquiesces, sinking back into her previous position of being cuddled into my chest. 

I breathe a sigh of relief, glad she’s moved on for now and accepted the human explanation. 

“That’s why I’m having my cousin send me the picture.” 

“What?” I sputter. 

She nods, now refusing to look at me. “I just want to make sure that I’m not crazy, that I’m remembering it right.” 

I swallow, not wanting to deceive her but also not wanting her to have to enter this world yet. So I settle on being as neutral as I can. “Yeah, good idea.” 

With both of us now on edge in our own way, we pretend to turn our attention back to the movie. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Felicity’s POV**

“That’s not a word,” I protest, laughing. 

“Is too.” Seth grins smugly, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head, looking so unintentionally handsome. 

“Seth,” I can barely get his name out through the giggling. “‘Zoinks’ is not a word.”

“Uh, haven’t you ever seen Scooby-Doo?”

I roll my eyes, though there’s no real annoyance within me. “You just wanted to use your ‘z’.”

He throws a piece of popcorn at my face which I try, and fail, to catch in my mouth. “Yeah, and I did.” 

“I’ll let it slide this time, loser.”

An impish wink from him nearly kills me. 

I’m about to suggest that we call the game when I hear a knock on the door. I motion for Seth to wait while I go see who it is.  _ I bet it’s that girl from down the hall again wanting to borrow my calculus textbook. I wish she hadn’t had lost hers.  _ But opening the door reveals someone completely different from the girl down the hall. It’s Ryan. 

My breath catches in my throat. 

“Shit.”

“Yeah.” To his credit, Ryan looks properly remorseful. His head is bent, hands in his pockets, and the look he gives me is hesitant. “Can we talk?”

“Uh…” I bite my lip, realizing how awful a situation this is. I risk a glance at Seth, who has frozen in his seat and is staring intensely at the door. 

Ryan mistakes my hesitation for being apprehensive of him. “I promise to be nice, don’t worry. I just think one bad fight isn’t enough to throw away two years of something great.” 

I sigh, leaning against the edge of the door, still blocking Seth from his view. “Look, Ryan, I wish you all the best, I really do. But what we had wasn’t great. I think you’re a good person at heart but we’re just not good with each other.”

He shuffles, agitated. “Can I please come inside and talk? I’m not ready to give up on us.” 

I close my eyes, knowing that I need to own up but dreading doing so. “Seth...is actually here...right now.” I shift feet uncomfortably. 

Anger and hurt flash in Ryan’s eyes. “Are you kidding me.” 

Seth materializes behind me and grips the door above my head. “Hey, Ryan.” His voice is amiable but careful. Like me, he’s wary of how this will play out. 

Ryan scoffs, taking a step back. “You cheater.” 

I shake my head, wanting to dispel those thoughts from him. “Nothing happened until after we broke up.”

He rolls his eyes, obviously not believing me. “I knew something was up. You  _ fucking _ bitch.” 

“Hey,” Seth warns, pulling me further into the apartment. 

“And  _ you _ !” Emboldened by hurt and bitterness, Ryan turns on Seth. “What the  _ fuck _ , man? You don’t act the way you did with someone else’s girl!” 

“She’s right, nothing happened before you ended things.” Seth’s still calm, but I can see the tension in his shoulders.

Again, Ryan scoffs, looking at the ground. “Well, you both are shit human beings. I can see now that you’re perfect for each other.” 

I bite my lip, hurting for Ryan despite the bad blood between us. “I’m sorry, Ryan.” 

He rolls his eyes and stops away. “Whatever.”

Slowly, Seth shuts the door. I stare at the floor, tears welling in my eyes. 

He sighs deeply, running a soothing hand up and down my back. “It’s alright.” 

I allow him to pull me into his arms and comfort me, though I’m not sure I deserve to be comforted.  _ Maybe I really am a bad person. Sure, Ryan was a pretty bad boyfriend, but he didn’t deserve to be cheated on.  _ A selfish voice fights back that I did not cheat, but honestly, I’m not so sure. Seth and I were  _ really  _ close, even before we kissed or slept in the same bed. At the very least, I cheated on Ryan in the emotional sense. I gulp and burrow deeper into Seth’s arms, immaturely wanting to be protected from my shame. 

“Ugh, this sucks.” I groan. “And then it sucks even more because I don’t want to not be with you, so that makes me selfish and a bad person and”

“Stop,” he cuts me off. “Felicity, we can’t help how we feel.” And in his eyes, I see deep truth. “You aren’t a bad person. Breakups are messy no matter how they come about. Ryan just needs some time to heal.”

I sigh, wanting desperately to believe him. “Yeah, I guess…we shouldn’t throw it in his face though. Let’s spend next weekend in Forks?”

“Sounds good.” He kisses the top of my head. 

We spend the rest of Sunday in my apartment, as I’m still too cowardly to venture out where we might encounter Ryan or his friends. That’ll come tomorrow on its own, so no sense in jumping the gun and making today worse. For now, I’m just happy to be spending quality time with Seth. We finish our Scrabble and he makes enchiladas while I wrap up some homework. We plan our trip to Forks and La Push next weekend. Depending on the weather, we might try to get in the water. 

“It’s gonna be so cold,” I complain, only half joking. 

One of his easy smiles shines. “That’s why  _ I’ll  _ be there to warm you up.”

I look down at my laptop, trying to approach this naturally. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that actually.” 

His shoulders tense and I can hear the forced casualness in his voice. “Oh?”

“Is it like...safe for your internal temperature to be that high all the time? And why is that? Is it like genetics or something?”

He doesn’t look at me, instead choosing to focus on carefully putting the enchiladas in the oven. “It’s just a Quileute thing, so I guess in a way it’s genetics. And don’t worry, it’s safe.” 

“Yeah, but why is it a Quileute thing,” I press, not satisfied with his vague answers. 

He shrugs, turning to look at me now. “Why is your hair honey blonde? Why do you have a bit of a Southern accent? It’s just part of who you are. The heat is part of who the Quileute’s are.” 

Strangely, I see a franticness in his eyes begging me to not ask any more questions. So I sort of switch topics. 

“It will be nice to see the Cullens again next week.” 

Happy with the change of subject, he begins to move freely around the kitchenette once again. “Oh yeah! They love you.” 

I smile. “I love them too. But…” I hesitate, not completely sure what questions to ask because I’m not even sure what answers I’m seeking. I just know deep down that  _ something _ is off here. Maybe a deep dark family secret that keeps the Cullens so isolated? Maybe a genetic disease that could be harmful to Seth and the others in the long run, and they’re trying to hide it from me? 

“Yes,” he prompts, somewhat nervously. 

“There’s just something  _ off _ about them, right?”

He swallows. “What do you mean?”

“You know, like...they’re all so  _ similar _ and yet completely different at the same time. I’ve never seen one of them eat. Do they suffer from an eating disorder? Like what’s going on there? And-and the way they  _ move _ and  _ talk _ ....It’s just so...different from anything I’ve ever seen before.”

He seems to think about his next words very carefully. “The Cullens are...very unique. A lot about how they live sets them apart from other people.” Oddly, he seems to stumble over that last word. I file that away for later. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they like to be isolated and prefer to spend their free time hiking and camping in the woods, so they don’t get a lot of sun.” 

I nod slowly, having noticed their severe paleness. 

“And, with the doctor being so health-conscious, they all follow a really strict diet.”

I furrow my eyebrows. “What diet?” A strange diet could explain the dark circles under their eyes and the lack of mealtimes. 

His eyes bulge comically as he seems to panic. “Veganism.” 

I chuckle. “Plenty of people are vegans, Seth. I can’t help that you love meat so much and can’t  _ fathom _ the idea of not eating animals.” 

This seems to amuse him and lighten the mood. He playfully tries to shut my laptop, which I block. 

In an act I don’t miss, he changes the subject. “Are you good with me staying over again tonight or do you want me to leave soon? I know you have classes tomorrow.” 

I roll my eyes, deciding to let him get away with moving on. My brain hurts from trying to reconcile the evidence with conclusions that don’t seem to fit, anyway. “Obviously you can stay until tomorrow. You’re not missing anything back home?”

He shakes his head, coming to sit by me on the stools. “Nope. I traded shifts with Paul.”

I hum, leaning my head on his shoulder. “I didn’t know Paul worked at the shop.” 

He furrows his brow, and then recognition dawns. “Oh! Oh yeah, Jake and I mainly run it, but the other guys help out from time to time.” 

“That’s nice,” I smile. 

“You know, now that I think about it, I need to make sure Paul remembers trading with me. Will you excuse me for a second?”

“Sure.” I turn my attention back to my homework. 

In order to not disturb me ( _ how sweet _ ), he leaves the apartment. I work diligently until he comes back. 

**Seth’s POV**

He picks up on the fifth ring, and this only adds to my frustration. 

“Jake, I’ve gotta tell her soon.”

“Okay slow down, what makes you think that?” I know where his mind is at. He’s thinking, ‘how will Felicity knowing the truth affect the security of the pack?’ ‘How will it impact the treaty with the Cullens?’ As Alpha, he does have to consider those things, but I wish he wouldn’t. It makes mitigating my duty to Felicity and to the pack that much harder. 

“She’s smart, she’s starting to piece things together and ask questions.”

“What kind of questions?” Now it’s Nessie’s voice, farther away. I think I’m on speakerphone. 

“Why I’m so warm, why the Cullens never eat or why they talk strangely sometimes, why Jasper looks  _ exactly like her relative who should be dead _ .”

“Yeah, regarding that.” Now it’s Jasper’s voice I hear. “I did some research, and it is me.”

Panicked, I let my frustration seep into my voice. “Yeah, I figured. She got the name right, Jasper Whitlock, and her cousin is  _ sending her the picture  _ which she can use as evidence for the things she’s probably trying desperately not to believe.” 

“Okay, so we get the picture before she does.” Jasper’s voice is calm, logical.

“No.” Now it’s Nessie’s voice, disagreeing. “Her cousin likely won’t send the physical picture. They’ll probably just send a picture of the picture to her phone.” 

Jake speaks. “Well between Nessie and Seth, we should be able to have the necessary access to her phone to intercept and delete the picture.” 

“No,” I protest, not liking where this conversation is going. “We are  _ not _ going to deceive her like this! I just stood in the kitchen for the past ten minutes and told her half-truths and lies, and I’m not going to do that anymore. I can see it in her eyes, she’s starting to think she’s a little crazy. She doesn’t deserve that.” 

There’s silence on the other end. 

“Well then is it really the best option for her to come visit next week?” Rosalie, who usually doesn’t deign to engage with me, apparently feels the need to intervene. “Maybe keeping her away would allow the rational part of her brain to override what she  _ thinks  _ she’s noticed.” 

“No,” Edward chimes in. “As soon as Seth tells her his side, she’ll know about us. I’ve heard her mind. She’s quick and has more of the puzzle put together than she realizes.” 

I sigh, tired of all this debate. “I would prefer to tell her within the next two weeks. I can’t let this go on much longer.” 

“You know it might not go over well,” Jake cautions. 

The fear that is ever-present in the back of my brain flares. I sigh, the temptation strong to preserve the normal, secure thing we have.  _ No. In the long run, it will be better if she knows. No matter how she reacts, she has the right to know. _ “I know.” I sigh. “Still, it needs to be done.” 

Jake is silent for a moment. Finally, “Okay. Okay, I’ll get the pack together and you can talk to them tomorrow. See what they think.”

I make a noise of agreement. “Okay sounds good. Nessie? What’s your plan?”

Through the phone, I hear her sigh. “I’ll tell her with my family after you have your chance. As much as I would like to be the one to blow her mind, it really should come from you first.” 

I smile. “Thank you.” Feeling more at ease now, I chuckle. “And when are we going to open the ‘Jasper’ can of worms?”

Through the phone, I hear him groan good-naturedly. “Give us both a few days. That’s just too insane to pile on.” 

I chuckle, wondering how that conversation will go over. “You got it. Thanks, guys, really.” 

“Sure, sure,” Jake’s answer is easy, but I know what allowing me to tell her could cost him. All the other imprints had grown up with the legends, so they’d had years of preparation whether they knew it or not. Nessie herself is an impossibility, so she was able to easily accept the impossibles put before her. But Felicity...she’s lived in a completely normal, human world for eighteen years. And even though subconsciously she knows something’s not right, there’s no way she could be prepared for  _ this _ . There’s a lot of risk associated with plunging her into this unknown. And I can only hope that taking this leap doesn’t put the other loved ones in my life in danger. 

**Nessie’s POV**

Jacob’s eyebrows furrow and, with a frown of my own, I reach over to lightly run my fingers over the tensioned skin. We’re in my room now, hoping to get a semblance of privacy from my family. In an effort to keep them from hearing our conversation, we talk in hushed tones. 

“What are you thinking about?”

He sighs, obviously conflicted. “I understand Seth’s side, but I’m not convinced it’s the right move to tell Felicity so soon.” 

I grip his hand, encouraging him to continue. 

“I know you both trust her, but  _ I _ don’t know her all that well. And as Alpha, it’s my job to keep my pack safe.” His eyes find mine then, his struggle evident within them. “And it’s my job to keep  _ you _ safe.”

I squeeze his hand in an effort to bring him some reassurance. 

“I mean, what if she freaks out,  _ as it would be normal to _ , and tells someone? I can’t risk the fallout that would affect you.” 

“Shhh.” I press my hand against the side of his face, showing my hopes for the future.  _ Felicity fully welcomed into the family. Me not having to hide who I am in my home-away-from-home. A friend outside of the people I grew up around who knows me for me.  _

Groaning, he leans back onto the fluffy pillows adorning my bed. “I know. It’s just a lot to consider.” 

I lie down, resting my head on his chest and placing my hand on his steadily beating heart. 

“Not to be  _ that _ person, but you kind of already told Seth yes.” 

He chuckles ruefully. “That I did.” 

“Felicity’s really smart,” I continue. “She already knows something is off. I truly think that once we tell her the truth and the evidence supports it, she’ll have no choice but to believe. And, she’s curious. That should at least convince her to give us a chance to explain.”

Jacob nods and absently runs his hand over my back, still lost in his thoughts. 

After a few minutes, Jacob perks up. “Okay, but  _ what _ is up with the whole ‘Jasper’ situation?”

I gasp, pushing up on his chest to sit up. “I know right?! That’s literally so insane.” But then, a grin takes over my face. “Wait, does that mean that she and I are related?”

Jake chuckles, pulling me back down to rest on him. “Very, very,  _ very _ distantly.” 

I shrug, not letting the specifics of it ruin my joy. “Details, details.” 

We go quiet again, just enjoying being with each other. Around the same time, Jake and I hear light footsteps on the top of the stairs and nearing my door.  _ Alice, most likely.  _

Sure enough, it’s Aunt Alice who knocks and pushes the door open slowly, obviously wanting to give us warning of her approach. She gracefully sits at the edge of my bed with a knowing smile. 

“Dr. Reelings will cancel your class tomorrow morning. His son has the stomach flu.” 

Jacob shakes his head, still not used even after all these years to Aunt Alice’s uncanny ability. I grin, delighted. “Awesome, thanks!”

Jacob snorts. “So you get an extra 50 minutes free in your day at some poor kid’s expense.”

I roll my eyes, pretending to be exasperated. “No,  _ we _ get an extra 50 minutes in my day to do whatever we want together.” Even though I try to disguise it for Alice’s sake, the suggestion in my voice is clear. Missing nothing, Aunt Alice chuckles, the sound like church bells. 

Suddenly, my father appears in the doorframe. 

_ Oops.  _ Jacob, Alice, and I all try to stifle our laughs. 

“Oh, hi Dad,” I say, my voice totally not passing for casual. 

“Mhmm,” is all he says, throwing a disapproving look at Jacob and a tired one at me. I shrug, unaffected. 

“Come on, Edward. Let’s let Renesmee and Jake pack their things so they can be on their way.” 

Still glaring at Jacob, Dad allows his tiny little sister to push him from the room. Over her shoulder, Aunt Alice throws me a wink. I return it, glad to have an ally. 

Getting back to business, I roll over and rest my chin on Jake’s chest, staring at him in the eye. “How late can you stay tomorrow?”

He scrunches his eyes. “What time was Dr. Reelings’ class again?”

“11:30”. 

He nods and when he speaks, there’s regret in his voice. “I’ll stay through that but then I better hit the road. Seth and I will need to go over a few things before he talks to the pack.” 

Aware of the stress he’s under, I kiss his hand, wishing I could help him share the burden. The clock strikes 8 pm and I figure we better get going if we don’t want to wake Felicity up when we get back to the dorm. That girl goes to bed way too early for a college student. 

Jake and I pack our things and say goodbye to my family. I give extra tight hugs, promising to see them next weekend with Felicity. 

The drive back to school is quick with Jake in the driver’s seat. We take his car, which he will use to drive back with Seth since Seth had previously driven my car to see Felicity.  _ Oh, the complications of love,  _ I think, amusing myself. 

We arrive around 10:30, Jacob’s car being older and slower than my own. The light in Felicity’s room is on and I can hear her and Seth murmuring softly, so I call out a greeting. She and Seth join us in the living room. I note, with the prideful satisfaction of a best friend, that Felicity’s cheeks are flushed and her lips plump.  _ Get it, girl _ . I send her a mental high-five. 

“Do you guys want to stay up and watch a movie,” I ask innocently, deciding to poke the bear. Or, more accurately, wolf. 

Felicity answers before Seth can. “Actually I’m pretty tired and you know I’ve got that 9 am, so we better be heading to bed. But you and I can watch something tomorrow night?”

I grin wickedly. “Sure, sure.” 

Felicity bites her lip, obviously feeling awkward. Seth looks as happy as ever. “So uh, goodnight guys.” She gives a little wave, grabs Seth by the hand, and pulls him back into her room. 

Jake chuckles, reaching both arms around my waist from behind and lifting me up. “You’re bad.” 

“Mwah ha ha ha ha,” I tease, allowing him to carry me into my own room. Once there, I put on some music and begin unpacking. He watches from the bed, absently reading through one of my papers that’s due tomorrow. 

“Hey, this is actually really good.” 

I snort. “You doubt me?”

He grins. “No, I just thought you were too busy playing match-maker to actually focus on school.”

I stick my tongue out at him. “I’m half  _ vampire _ , Jake, I’m obviously a multi-tasking queen.”

He shakes his head, still smiling. Then, without warning, he chucks a pillow at me. It’s only thanks to the super-speedy reflexes that I catch it right before it hits my face. 

“Rude!” I laugh, jumping on the bed to hit him with the pillow that had previously acted as his own weapon. He allows a few hits before catching it easily and using it to pull me close for a kiss. I bite his lip softly and then sigh, knowing what that does to him. And  _ just _ as he reaches for me, intending to take this up a notch, I shove him off the bed, laughing wildly. He hits the ground with a  _ thud _ , looking bewildered. I throw my head back, not caring that the people in 3C probably hate us. I’m just having too good of a time. 

**Felicity’s POV**

A loud crashing sound startles me, and I jump away from Seth. “What  _ was _ that?”

He shakes his head, smiling softly. “Nessie just pushed Jake off the bed.” He leans down to kiss me again and pick up where we left off. I’m happy to continue, but then something registers. 

“Wait,” I pull away again, resting on my elbow so I’m eye-level with him this time. “How do you know that?”

He freezes. “I just have really good hearing.” 

“Yeah…” I bite my lip, not sure why that sends alarm bells off in my head. “Nessie does too…” 

He waits patiently, and somewhat nervously, while I mull this over. Finally, I decide to let it go.  _ Having great hearing isn’t  _ that _ out of the norm, I guess _ . I force myself to smile, shrugging it off. “Nevermind.”

Seth raises his eyebrows, and I see the relief in his eyes.  _ His reaction is  _ so weird _.  _ “You sure?”

_ No.  _ “Yes.” Because what am I holding on to, anyway? What am I trying to explain? The answer isn’t clear, but deep, deep down, I feel unconsciously unsettled by them all. The Cullens, Nessie...even Seth, though my heart aches to admit it. And it’s not even that I feel unsafe, quite the contrary, especially where Seth is concerned. I just feel like there’s something I’m missing, something they’re not telling me. Logic takes over, reminding me that that’s absurd. 

Apparently still sensing that something is off with my mood, Seth pulls me close against his chest and wraps his arms around me. I close my eyes, enjoying the warmth and security. 

“I was thinking that instead of just swimming next weekend that I could take you cliff diving.” 

I grin, all traces of my previous concerns gone. “For real? That sounds so fun.”

Against the back of my neck, I feel him smile. “It is. We’ll have to watch the weather though. If a storm’s blowing in, sometimes the waves get too choppy.” 

I say a quick prayer that the storms wait until I get to jump off a cliff at least once. I pull his hand up to my lips and kiss it briefly, signing contentedly. “And s’mores are a must if we’re going to be outside. October is perfect bonfire weather.” 

He nods slowly. “Yeah, yeah that’s a great idea.” I feel him shift behind me. “That’s actually pretty good timing, because I was hoping you would sit through Billy Black’s telling of some of the Quileute legends. He usually does it at bonfires.” From the tone of his voice, I can tell that this is important to him. 

My response is immediate. “Of course. I’d love to.” 

He exhales in relief, the motion causing my hair to fluff. “Great, I’ll set it up.”

I can’t help but be cognisant of what he’s trusting me with. He’s opening up his culture, his family, and his friends to me in a new way. I have a feeling that next weekend will be an important moment in our relationship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So glad to be back and writing/reading with you guys! I finished outlining this story and let me tell you, I am PUMPED! I also want to get to know you guys a bit better, so I’m bringing back my Question of the Chapter (QOTC). Here it is: Which side character couple is your favorite -- Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, or Rosalie and Emmett? Bonus points if you tell me why. And of course, I treasure any feedback you have for the story!


	15. Chapter 15

**Seth’s POV**

Felicity wrings her hands together and paces, not looking at me. 

“Seth, I don’t think I can do this.” 

“It’s okay,” I assure her. “We can go back down-”

“No, I  _ want _ to do this,” she huffs. She takes a couple of steps towards the edge of the cliff, my nerves spiking in response. I move closer to her  _ just _ in case she accidentally falls over. “I’m just saying that you might have to push me.” 

I grin wickedly, believing her. “Alright, but you said to.”

And before she can protest further, I wrap my arms securely around her and plunge us over the edge of the cliff. 

She screams as we fall, and I have to laugh, though the sound does send off warning bells in the back part of my brain. But she’s with me, which means she’s safe. 

The cold water shocks my body as we make contact, sinking deeply. Immediately, Felicity and I kick our legs, working our way to the surface. The minute she can breathe again, she’s laughing, the sound infectious. 

“We’re gonna have to do that again!” Remnant water drops down her face, sparkling in the evening sun. 

I agree easily, happy to do whatever she wants today. I’m nervous, of course, for what I have to do tonight, but I know in the long run it will be better. Felicity doesn’t deserve to be lied to. 

“Hey, Seth?” Her soft voice pulls me from my thoughts. She looks at me, exhilaration from the fall still in her eyes. “I adore you.” 

My breath leaves me in a quick exhale and I can hardly contain my happiness, nor the feeling of  _ right _ that settles over me. This is how it’s meant to be. I answer the only way I can: with complete honesty. “You have no idea.” 

She kisses me then, and I want nothing more than to stay in this water forever, wrapped in each other’s arms under the glow of the sunset. 

But Quil shouting from the shore interrupts us, calling us to something I both dread and excitedly anticipate: the bonfire. 

Felicity pouts comically when I pull away, but that quickly turns into laughter when I splash some water towards her face. 

“Let’s go.” 

Still, we take our time swimming to shore. The blanket of warmth provided by the water and myself evaporates when we hit the ground and Felicity immediately begins to shiver. Thankfully, Emily had the foresight to meet us at the beach with our changes of clothes plus a large blanket for Felicity. I grin in thanks and usher Felicity farther into the woods so we can change. 

“Ya decent?” Her voice travels from behind a nearby tree. 

“Yes ma’am,” I call back, peeking around the tree of my own. She emerges into view then, looking adorable in her fleece leggings and sweatshirt, completely wrapped in the chunky knit blanket and hair in a braid and hat. 

I chuckle at the differences in our appearance. 

“You are  _ insane _ ,” she laments, lightly smacking my bare shin where the shorts cut off. 

I just grin impishly, giving her a light shove. “You’re just lucky I’m wearing a shirt.” 

She just rolls her eyes, muttering under her breath that  _ lucky _ isn’t the word she would use. 

I bite back a grin, knowing it’s not something I was meant to hear. Instead, I throw my arm over her shoulders and begin the walk back to the beach. 

My friends had been busy in the five minutes we were gone. The bonfire is set, flames of blue and orange reaching towards the sky. Someone thought to bring a table and load it with hot dogs and, per Felicity’s request, s’more supplies. She immediately takes notice and makes a beeline towards the graham crackers. 

While we load our plates, I take note of who’s here. It’s a relatively small gathering, which makes sense seeing as everyone here has heard these stories at least twice already. Billy sits in his wheelchair, surveying the area. Scattered on the logs around the fire are Sam and Emily, Quil, Claire, Paul, and Embry. Catching my eye, Quil gives me an encouraging smile. 

Felicity and I take our place on a log. Kindly, but unnecessarily, she throws the blanket around my shoulders, too. I smile, using it as an opportunity to scoot closer to her. By now, the sun has set completely, and the light of the fire gives Felicity a hauntingly gorgeous glow. 

She kisses my shoulder and then makes a noise of protest as her marshmallow falls straight into the fire. 

I chuckle at her luck. 

She rolls her eyes, grumbling. “That’ll show me, I guess.” 

Approximately two successful s’mores later, Billy calls the group to order. 

And he begins the telling of our history. 

I can’t help but be incredibly tense through the whole thing. Felicity senses this and runs her fingers over my back in an effort to calm me, but still, I don’t relax. To Felicity, these will be just legends and stories. But to me, they’re history, inseparable from who I am and my present reality. A reality that, in just a couple of hours, Felicity will have to face for herself. 

Still, it pleases me to see that she is listening attentively, a look of wonder on her face. Hopefully, that bodes well for her reaction later. Billy heeds my request and omits as much as he can regarding the Cold Ones as they relate to the Cullens. That’s for them to tell. Still, it’s not possible to separate our histories entirely, so Felicity definitely learns a little. 

It’s eight o’ clock when the stories end. The only light comes from the fire, the moon, and the stars. While beautiful to me, it could be seen as ominous, and I hesitate to go forward with my plan of telling Felicity tonight. Again, Quil seems to sense my hesitation and gives me an encouraging nod. I sigh, deciding to just dive in and tell her. Lying to your imprint is very difficult, I’ve realized. And it just plain sucks. I want to be able to share every part of myself with her. Deep down, I want her to  _ accept _ every part of me. But the serious part of my brain reminds me that she might not. And honestly, I’m not even sure what I’ll do then. 

I stand and offer Felicity my hand to pull her up. “Wanna go for a walk?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” She smiles. “We should probably help clean up first, though.”

I chuckle, throwing my arm around her shoulders. “Silly Felicity, you’re a  _ guest _ . And guests don’t have to help clean up.” 

Rolling her eyes, she pokes my side. “Yeah, and what does that make you? Don’t you live here?”

I shake my head, pulling her towards the water. “I’m a guest of a guest, since technically, I’m here with you. And if guests don’t have to clean up, then guests of guests  _ definitely _ don’t have to.” 

At this, she laughs fully and snuggles further into my side. In this moment of closeness, I allow myself to imagine a positive reaction to the ‘wolf’ bomb. Felicity would be able to truly know me as I am. She would be able to know pack business. I could run with her on my back.  _ Oh, she would  _ love  _ that _ ! I can’t help but grin. She would understand the strength of our bond, and why we feel as we do even after such a short amount of time. And she would understand why I’ll never be able to leave her. She might be able to better understand the sheer  _ intensity _ of my love for her. 

That serious voice in my head makes another appearance to tell me to back off with the L-word. Knowing what we do and feeling the full force of the imprint typically makes us ‘all in’ quicker than our imprints. For some, it doesn’t take long for them to catch up. But for others...I chuckle, remembering the entire  _ year _ Rachel took to come around with Paul. He was miserable of course, but now that they’re so happy it’s easy to look back and laugh at their crazy journey.

“What’s so funny?” Once again, Felicity pulls me from my thoughts. 

I press her tighter to me. “Just thinking of all the trouble Nessie and Jake could get into tonight.”  _ Lie. _ My stomach churns uncomfortably. 

Unaware of my deception, Felicity snickers. “They’re home with her parents tonight, so I’m gonna guess  _ zero _ trouble.”

As we get closer to where the beach meets the woods, my nerves grow, and I can’t make myself chill out enough to respond. 

“Speaking of trouble…” Felicity’s voice is a little hesitant, and I wonder if she can sense my unease. “Where are we going?”

I take a deep breath, hoping to calm us both. “There’s an alcove behind those rocks there where the beach lines up with the forest. I think you’d like it.” 

She smiles now, more at ease. “I’d wager you’re right.” 

We finish the walk in silence. My palms start to sweat, and I idly wonder how fast my heart rate must be for  _ me _ to get sweaty. When we turn to go behind the rock she gasps, evidently enjoying the area as much as I thought she would. 

I’m antagonizing over how to start this life-changing conversation when she reaches up to kiss me and essentially does the work for me. 

“Thank you for including me tonight. It was really nice. The bonfire, the stories...it’s all so interesting.” She saunters over to a large, slanted rock and takes a seat, looking confused when I don’t join her. 

The confusion turns to nervousness when I stand squirming a few feet in front of her. 

“Seth?” Her tone is unsure, and there’s a twinge of hurt in there. Inwardly, I grimace, hating the pain I’m causing her already. It’s time to stop beating around the bush. 

“Okay, so you know all those stories Billy told?”

“Yes, the ones we heard ten minutes ago.” Even now, obviously panicked, she finds room to tease. I force down a smile, knowing this isn’t the right time to be laughing.

“Yeah, exactly.” Semi-subconsciously, I start to pace. “So to some people, that’s all they are. Stories, legends. But to me and my friends and a handful of others, they’re our history. And…” I verbally stumble as I near the incriminating words. “And our present.” 

At this, I freeze my pacing, anxious to see her reaction. It confuses me when all I see is her raised eyebrow. 

“Okay…” She trails off with a question mark. 

She doesn’t get it. 

I stifle a groan, not at all wanting to have to say this again. Already, it feels like I’m drawing it out. Like I’m hedging telling her the truth and deliberately extending her dread. 

“I turn into a wolf.” The words are out of my mouth before I can even consider a more delicate way to phrase them. My heart stops. 

She stares at me for a second, her eyebrows furrowing. Her mouth opens slightly as she continues to stare. 

And then, she laughs. 

Unable to form any more words, I just stare at her, my gaze level as I wait for her to come to the conclusion that I am completely and utterly serious. 

Her laughter slowly dies, and she looks at me now like she can’t quite figure out what sort of game I’m playing. 

She scoffs and looks at me, still unsure. “Seth, c’mon.” 

I don’t say anything. I can’t. Because my heart has dropped down to my feet and a slow, heavy dread is creeping through my bones. 

With a huff, Felicity stands and begins to walk towards me. Two steps later, she changes her mind and begins to pace in front of the rock.

“No...no.  _ No _ ! Seth,” she gives a nervous laugh, her pacing quickening. “Seth.” Her voice is insistent now, almost demanding. “For Pete’s sake, you do not turn into a wolf.” 

“Yeah, I do.” It shocks me by how sad my voice sounds. She shakes her head wildly, hands flying up to take off her hat. “Felicity.” 

Upon hearing her name, she roots her feet, stares at me, and clenches her jaw. I can do nothing but stare at her and wait for it all to click. 

I can see it in her eyes the moment it does. 

She lets out a shuddering breath and sways before quickly dropping to the ground and putting her head in her hands. My first instinct is to rush over to her and make sure she’s alright, but something about her demeanor tells me I should keep my distance. For all I know, she could be terrified of me right now.

The space around us is painfully silent except for her jagged breathing. 

Seconds pass, then minutes. I shift on my feet, discomfort growing.  _ What if she never speaks to me again? _

But thankfully, she does, even if her words don’t do anything to indicate her being okay with this information. Instead, she gulps and gives me a wary, tired look from her place on the ground. “How is that even possible?”

She’s giving me a chance to explain myself. I jump at it, nearly desperate at this point. 

“It’s part of who I am, who  _ we _ are as a tribe. We change--activate the gene--by being near the Cold Ones, the vampires. It’s not anything we can decide on, it’s just part of our genetics. We do it to protect those in our tribe and the people closest to us. I-” I swallow then, realizing that my words aren’t doing much to calm her racing heart. “I could protect you if it came to it.” I sink slowly to the ground, palms open in a show of harmlessness. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Felicity. I  _ swear _ I am not a danger to you.” 

She scoffs and looks away, and when she speaks, her voice thick, I can guess it was to hide the tears in her eyes. “I’m not  _ scared _ of you, Seth.”

I gulp, my heart soaring dangerously high with hope. 

She continues. “I  _ should _ be...I really, really should be. And I shouldn’t even believe you, because this is obviously  _ so  _ ridiculous but I…” she shrugs, looking at me now with clear unease in her eyes. “I do. Like, there’s no doubt in me that you’re telling the truth or that any of this is real but it  _ can’t  _ be because-” she cuts herself off then, burying her head in her knees. 

I sigh, hoping the next bomb I’m about to drop on her doesn’t ruin her precarious calm. “That’s probably because of the imprint.”

She looks at me then, eyebrows furrowed. “The what?”

I buy some time by pretending to look into the forest, really not wanting to freak her out. But unless I tell her about the imprint, she’ll be missing a large part of the picture and it will only lead to more lies. And I am  _ so done _ with lying to her. 

“We don’t exactly know why it happens or what triggers it, all we know is that it seems to be specific for our tribe and our brand of shape-shifting.”

As I speak, I can see the hesitant curiosity in her eyes, her trademark academic brain seeking out new information, even if she’s not yet made the decision to be okay with it all. Still, it encourages me and I continue. 

“Basically, it’s like a really strong bond between two people. Stronger than anything in the world, to the point where the other person  _ is _ your world. Anything they want or need, you provide or you  _ are _ . It’s a life-long bond and one that can never be broken. It’s...supposed to be rare, but because our pack is so big it’s...a little more common.” I falter as I get closer to the words I so badly want to speak but am so hesitant to say. 

Felicity is smart though and catches on quickly.

“Are we…?” She seems nervous, embarrassed almost, to be asking. I so badly want to alleviate those feelings, but all I can do is nod as I’m bombarded with all the potential outcomes of this conversation. 

“We are,” she confirms, looking at the ground.

Then she does the most amazing thing. 

She smiles. 

It’s hesitant and soft, but it’s  _ there _ .

“I mean it makes sense now.” She nearly rolls her eyes, chuckling. “Why I’m so attached to the lovable dork I met only a few months ago.”

I can’t help the breathy laugh of wonder that escapes me as I stare at my world cracking _ jokes _ after she finds out that her boyfriend is a werewolf who essentially just made a proclamation of perpetual devotion.  _ Wait, have I even  _ asked _ her to be my girlfriend yet? _

But she opens her arms then, allowing me to rush to her and pull her close, and I lose all my thoughts other than, “I’m so glad you know.” My voice is tight with emotion and I press my head into her neck, not ever wanting to let her go. 

Her own voice is small when she responds in my ear. “It’s still a little freaky, I’m not gonna lie. But I trust you.” Her words fall over me, comforting and assuring. “I obviously have a million questions though.” 

Now, a shaky laugh escapes me, and I pull her impossibly closer. “Of course you do.” I lean back to look at her, grinning widely. “I’ll answer them all.” 

“And I want to see.” 

I freeze now, shocked that she’s asked so soon. 

She furrows her eyebrows, looking nervous now. “Is that...not okay?” 

“No, no,” I rush to reassure her. “No it’s perfectly fine, I just didn’t expect you to be ready for that so soon.” 

She chuckles, biting her lip. “Maybe not tonight, it’s too cold. Tomorrow morning.” 

Now it’s my turn to laugh, burying my face in her neck once more. “Whatever you want.” 

She kisses the side of my head. “Thank you for being honest.” 

_ How did I get her?  _ I shake my head, just thankful that I did. “Thank  _ you _ for not running away screaming.”

She chuckles. “Oh, it was a close call. But I decided that I care about you more than I care about freaky supernatural things.”

Elated, I stand up, pulling her into my arms bridal-style. “Thank God.” 

She snuggles into my chest, evidently enjoying her mode of transportation almost as much as I’m enjoying having her in my arms. 

“Hey wait.” Something seems to occur to her and I pause, suddenly nervous that she’s changed her mind. 

But her next words are so harmless that they actually have me laughing. “When you dream, is it from the perspective of a wolf or a human?”

“ _ What _ ?” She shakes in my arms as I laugh and soon, she joins me. 

“It’s a valid question!” 

“But out of all the questions,  _ that’s _ where you go first?” 

She rolls her eyes, butting me with her head and whining. “Shut uppp.” 

I chuckle but decide to answer her question seriously anyway. “As a human. It’s hard to explain, but even when we’re wolves, we don’t have the  _ minds _ of wolves. We’re ourselves just in a different body. So even when I’m a wolf, if I fall asleep, I dream as I would if I were in human form.” 

She’s stopped laughing now and gazes at me in wonder. “That’s fascinating.” 

I kiss her nose. “Do you wanna stay over or should I take you to Miss Gertie’s or the Cullens’?”

She raises her eyebrows. “Stay? Like at your house?”

I roll my eyes. “No in my wolf’s den. Yes, my house!”

She throws her head back and groans, but the grin never leaves her face. “You know what I mean! I’ve just never been to your house! Unless you mean Charlie and Sue’s?” 

I shake my head. “Nope, my actual home where I spend my free time and keep my clothes and my food.” 

She perks up, her interest obviously piqued. “Yeah let’s go there.” 

I purse my lips absently. “I can’t believe I’ve never taken you there. Sorry about that.” 

She shrugs, not as affected as I’d been concerned she’d be. “No worries! But seriously, pick up the pace. It’s freezing out here.” 

I laugh and pull her tighter against me in an effort to warm her. “Yes ma’am.” 

And I as I break out in a run, she laughs wildly, the sound causing my already speedy heart to beat even faster.

{***}

We stay up well into the night talking. I answer all of her questions, even the ridiculous ones about full moons and silver bullets. 

She does seem surprised by some of my answers though, like when I tell her about my extended lifespan. 

“You don’t age?” Her voice is incredulous.

“Well I do, just differently. I only age when I go for a few months at a time without phasing.”

She shakes her head. “That’s crazy...so how old are you really?”

I’m quick to reassure her. “Twenty-four as advertised. After the initial chaos right after I phased for the first time, what with the influx of vampires and all that, the guys made me stop and age normally for a while. At the time I was annoyed and felt left out, but now of course I’m super grateful. I had time to actually be a kid for a while and to grow up properly before being thrust into all this responsibility. I only started phasing regularly a few years ago. So physically and mentally I’m twenty-one but I’m twenty-four legally.” 

“That’s crazy,” she breathes, taking the information in. Then, sadness crosses her face and I’m quick to grab her hand. 

“Does that bother you?” My mind immediately goes to her having a problem with one of my ages.  _ Too young or too old? She already thought I was twenty-four and the five and a half year gap didn’t seem to bother her but maybe she was just covering that up or- _

Her response cuts my inner voice off. “Not in the way you think.” 

I gaze at her expectantly, waiting for her to explain. 

She sighs, not looking at me. “So what does that mean for...for the future and everything? Like if I age normally but you don’t what happens when I’m in my thirties and you’re still barely the drinking age? That’s gonna be so weird and-” 

I rush to put her mind at ease. “It’s up to us. If you wanted we would just wait for you to catch up to twenty-one or twenty-four and then I would stop phasing and age normally with you. Or if you were fine waiting until you’re older we could do that, or if you wanted me to stop right this second I would.” I move so that she can see my eyes, wanting her to understand how serious I am about this. “You have as much control over this weirdness as I do. And you mean more to me than anything else.” 

She closes her eyes and smiles, pressing her forehead to mine. “ _ You _ mean more to me than anything else. We’ll cross that age bridge when we get there.” 

I kiss her then, unable to wrap my mind around how amazing it is now that she knows everything about me. 

She pulls away from the kiss to yawn, causing me to chuckle. “Wanna go to bed and continue this in the morning?”

She rolls her eyes. “You wimping out on me at 2:30?” But despite her words, she’s already fluffing her pillow and turning onto her side, obviously ready to sleep. 

I chuckle and give her head a quick kiss before sliding under the covers behind her, pulling her against my chest, and quickly falling asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So, what did you think? Let me know! Also, a lot of you said your favorite side-character couple is Alice and Jasper and they’re mine, too! I just love their dynamic. Now on to the next QOTC: If you could live in any fictional world/universe, which would it be and why? Looking forward to hearing your answers and your reactions to this chapter! 


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